India's Green Hydrogen Imperative: Accelerating Energy Transition for Net-Zero Emission Goals
Key Ideas
  • India's pursuit of net-zero emissions by 2030 hinges on advancing its green hydrogen economy, necessitating urgent investment and policy backing.
  • The green hydrogen sector is crucial for India's energy transition, requiring a focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable mobility.
  • Challenges include disparity in returns between fossil fuels and green energy, with efforts to increase gas's share and secure access to critical minerals.
  • Emphasizing energy productivity improvements, reforms in the power sector, and scaling up clean energy investments are vital components for India's energy transition.
A recent report by S&P Global emphasizes that India's interim net-zero emission target of 2030 is unattainable without significant progress in its green hydrogen economy. The delay in meeting this target may extend by a decade, highlighting the urgency for India to expedite the development of its green hydrogen sector. The sector is deemed pivotal for India's energy transition strategy, emphasizing the need for investments and policy support. While the government has implemented a policy framework combining subsidies, mandates, taxes, and incentives to stimulate the green sector, historical data shows a disproportionate allocation towards fossil fuels over green energy. India is taking steps to establish a carbon market framework and climate finance taxonomy to aid financing for green technologies. However, challenges remain, such as the disparity in returns between fossil fuels and green energy enterprises, with the former outperforming the latter in capital returns. Gas, although currently playing a minor role in India's energy mix, is expected to have a more significant role in transitioning away from coal. The government aims to increase gas's share to 15 percent by 2023. Energy transition also involves securing access to critical minerals and implementing reforms in the power sector to address issues like high transmission losses. Promoting energy efficiency in industries and public transport, developing energy-efficient cooling solutions, and manufacturing ecosystems for clean energy components are crucial steps. Creating an environment conducive to green bond issuances and innovative financing models and strengthening financial institutions for managing green projects are essential for scaling up clean energy investments. Encouraging private participation, supporting off-grid technology research, and public-private partnerships can drive technological advancements and address energy access challenges, especially in rural areas.
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