Green vs Gray: The Surprising Shift in India's Hydrogen Market
Key Ideas
  • Hydrogen produced using renewables is becoming cheaper than natural gas-based hydrogen in India, driven by high natural gas import costs.
  • Indian businesses are investing heavily in green hydrogen production, exceeding government targets, but binding sales agreements may limit actual production.
  • India aims to lower green hydrogen prices to $1.50/kg and increase annual output to 5 million tons by 2030, backed by incentives and potential import duty cuts.
  • Efficiency improvements in manufacturing processes contribute to keeping green hydrogen costs competitive, challenging the notion that it is significantly more expensive.
In India, the hydrogen market is experiencing a notable shift as green hydrogen, produced using renewable energy sources, is beginning to undercut the price of gray hydrogen made from natural gas. High import costs for natural gas in the country have made gray hydrogen more expensive, tipping the scales in favor of green hydrogen. Anshul Gupta from Hygenco Green Energies Pvt Ltd. mentioned pricing green hydrogen below gray hydrogen for some 20-year contracts while still maintaining profitability. This trend is significant as green hydrogen has historically been more costly to produce but is now becoming a more attractive and competitive option. To drive the adoption of green hydrogen further, India has set ambitious targets to reduce prices to $1.50 per kilogram and ramp up annual production to 5 million tons by 2030, a significant increase from current levels. The government has introduced incentives and is contemplating reducing import duties on necessary machinery to facilitate this growth. Despite businesses committing substantial investments totaling $187 billion to produce 15 million tons annually, a lack of firm sales agreements may hinder production, potentially limiting output to around 500,000 tons per year. Hygenco, with operational projects and additional plans in place, aims to achieve an annual output of approximately 150 million kilograms by 2030. While this volume is considerable, it falls short of India's ambitious targets. An emphasis on efficiency in manufacturing processes has helped the company maintain competitive pricing for green hydrogen, challenging the misconception that it is excessively expensive. Overall, the positive shift towards green hydrogen in India's market signals a promising future for sustainable and cost-effective hydrogen production.
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