The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) under its National Green Hydrogen Mission has announced the ‘green hydrogen standard for India’. This has been marked as a crucial step for the advancement of the Mission. The Indian government has defined green hydrogen as hydrogen generated by utilising renewable energy sources, such as electrolysis or biomass conversion. It also includes power produced from renewable sources which are stored in an energy storage system or deposited with the grid in compliance with the rules in force. Furthermore, the MNRE has specified the emission threshold for green hydrogen production that includes both electrolysis and biomass-based hydrogen generation processes.
As per the notification, the limit for electrolysis-based green hydrogen for non- biogenic greenhouse gas emissions as a result of gas purification, water treatment, drying and compression of hydrogen, and electrolysis should not exceed 2 kilogram of carbon dioxide which is equal to per kilogram of hydrogen when averaged over previous 12-month period. This is specifically for electrolysis-based green hydrogen.
However, the limit for biomass-based green hydrogen resulting from the processing of biomass, creation of heat or steam, conversion of biomass to hydrogen, purification and drying of gas, and compression of hydrogen shall not exceed 2 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide equal to per kilogramme of hydrogen averaged over the previous 12-month period. The notification states that the MNRE shall specify a precise methodology for measurement, reporting, monitoring, on-site verification, and certification of green hydrogen and its derivatives. The announcement further states that the Ministry of Power’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency shall serve as the nodal authority for the monitoring, verification, and certification of projects for the generation of green hydrogen.
