Discuss the measures that are required to overcome the several challenges that persist in launching the National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHEM). (200 Words)
Refer - The Hindu
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands
IAS Parliament 4 years
KEY POINTS
· India will soon join 15 other countries in the hydrogen club as it prepares to launch the National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHEM). The global target is to produce 1.45 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2023.
· In 2030, the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), green hydrogen demand could be up to 1 million tonnes in India.
Key measures
· Decentralised hydrogen production must be promoted through open access of renewable power to an electrolyser (which splits water to form H2 and O2 using electricity).
· Wheeling (wheeling is the transportation of electric energy from within an electrical grid) electricity from a solar plant in Kutch to a refinery in Vadodara could lower the transportation cost by 60%.
· Improving the reliability of hydrogen supply by augmenting green hydrogen with conventionally produced hydrogen will significantly improve the economics of the fuel.
· Policymakers must facilitate investments in early-stage piloting and the research and development needed to advance the technology for use in India.
· India must learn from the experience of the National Solar Mission and focus on domestic manufacturing.
· Establishing an end-to-end electrolyser manufacturing facility would require measures extending beyond the existing performance-linked incentive programme.
· There is a need for a manufacturing strategy that can leverage the existing strengths and mitigate threats by integrating with the global value chain.
