Hydrogen is a sustainable fuel with diverse applications in areas including mobility, domestic sector, and industries. As a fuel, it is superior to the traditional fossil-fuel route owing to its scalability and versatility. Despite the uncertainty in terms of storage, the adoption rate is expected to drive the green hydrogen market. CSTEP's research is focussed on the application of hydrogen as a blended fuel in mobility and city gas distribution networks - leapfrogging from a coal-based economy into a gas-based economy to realise and march beyond India's climate commitments.
Can Hydrogen hasten the utilisation of alternative fuel resources in the cement industry?
In 2021, Hanson — a subsidiary of Heidelberg Cement in the United Kingdom — substituted 100% of thermal energy with energy from alternative fuels in one of its cement kilns by using a mixture of hydrogen (39%), glycerine (49%), and meat and bone meal (MBM; 12%) instead of coal. This is the world’s first usage of 100% climate-neutral fuel and one of the first demonstrations of hydrogen-based technology in the cement kiln. Such adaptations, comprising a climate-neutral fuel blend, in the Indian cement industry remain elusive, even in 5% of the plants.
Potential and challenges of using hydrogen to decarbonise Indian Railways
The Indian Railways, one of the biggest train networks worldwide, transports over 24 million passengers and 3 MT of freight daily. It is a major energy consumer in the country with a significant emission footprint. To overcome these challenges, the government has set a target to achieve 100% electrification of the railway network by 2024. Currently, 80% of the routes have already been electrified. However, the cost effectiveness and technical feasibility of complete electrification in areas with low grid access or inaccessible terrain or in routes with low frequency remain unclear.
Hydrogen applications segmentation and hierarchy
The National Green Hydrogen Mission envisions India to be a leading manufacturer and a major hub for green hydrogen in the world. However, India lacks the necessary infrastructure and some of the key technologies that are needed to realise these goals. India does not produce green hydrogen at a commercial stage at present and lacks several raw materials (critical minerals) that are required to manufacture electrolysers.
OPINION: Is hydrogen the next state-of-the-art ancillary fuel in the server legion?
Over the past decade, digitalisation has been expedited across all industries. This has enabled businesses to store, manage, and remotely retrieve large amounts of both critical and non-critical data. In addition, improvements in the precision of global navigation systems, expansion of trade and commerce, increased access to quality education, and other data-intensive procedures have contributed to an elevated quality of life and heightened productivity.
H2 Valleys: Opportunities and Trade-offs
In India, a functioning hydrogen economy is expected to bolster the energy portfolio in a sustainable way with the support of conducive policies (National Green Hydrogen Mission) from the Government.
Is India ready for the switch to Green Hydrogen in passenger trains?
Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister of Railways, has announced that the country would have its first hydrogen-powered passenger train by December 2023. The train will run on the Sonipat–Jind route in Haryana, which is 89 km. The announcement has created a buzz among researchers in the country.
But are we ready for the switch to green hydrogen in our trains? Let’s assess the economic and technical feasibility of the switch from diesel to hydrogen in passenger trains.
How Green Hydrogen Policy Can Lead to India's Energy Import Independence
India has set ambitious medium- and long-term renewable energy targets to counteract the adverse effects of climate change, one of them being the commitment to increase the share of its renewable power capacity to 50% by 2030.
To summarise, it will take more than a shiny day and a multitude of arrayed solar panels for India to be energy-independent without compromising on the quality of life.