The German Embassy in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF) organised a Climate Talk on "Green Hydrogen for the Future" in a hybrid form on 15 December 2021. Both Germany and India have high ambitions in the field of green hydrogen (H2), especially regarding its development as means to drive the energy transition in both countries and the mitigation of factors contributing to climate change. The event marks the final climate talk within the diplomatic year of climate change and the environment.

Introductory remarks were made by Dr. Antje Berger and Dr. Stephan Hesselmann, both representing the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in New Delhi, India. Dr. Berger, in charge of environmental affairs, made clear that there are no alternatives to  green hydrogen yet, to achieve full decarbonisation of our economies. Dr. Hesselman, Minister Counsellor for Economic Affairs informed that Germany will remain a net importer of energy and highlighted its high interest in sourcing green hydrogen from around the world. Dr. Winfried Damm, Cluster Coordinator, Indo-German Energy Programme, GIZ shared his optimism that India is well positioned to achieve a price of below 1 Euro/kg green hydrogen by 2030. Funding by the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action of up to a 15 million Euro grant per green H2, ammonia, or methanol project is now available for India.

Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) emphasized the significance of green hydrogen to cope with future energy demands. The Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is envisioning for India to become an international hub for the production and export of green hydrogen. With the support of TERI, MNRE is currently preparing to launch a "National Hydrogen Mission" that covers all aspects of a hydrogen economy including storage, research and development, as well as, policy initiatives. Dr. Dhawan pointed out that the demand for green hydrogen will be five times higher by 2050, while its production costs will reduce significantly compared to the current price of around 4 US Dollars/kg. In order to develop a green H2 ecosystem, she highlighted the importance of partnerships among actors along the green hydrogen value chain on a domestic and international scale. Stating that "Climate has no boundaries", she opted for a strong international collaboration and strong partnership between Germany and India.

Ms. Anandi Iyer, Director, Fraunhofer Office India, presented state of the art developments from Fraunhofer researchers. Fraunhofer covers a holistic approach to grasp the entire value-chain in green H2 production and is involved in dozens of pilot projects in Germany such as the "Hydrogen Injection Plant, a multi-level control system that allows testing of H2.” Additional research efforts are directed at the combination of solar and green hydrogen production, as a bankable H2 yield report is being prepared to promote financial reliance on H2 projects. Ms. Iyer stressed that Fraunhofer is actively looking for Indian partners to collaborate on pilot projects in green hydrogen.

Mr. Amar Singh, Chief Manager, Siemens Energy India, underlined that the key lever for decarbonization of all end-user sectors is "sector coupling". In consequence, it is important to take green electrons from the power sector and use them as green fuel for the non-power sector. Mr. Singh als gave insights into the "Haru Oni Pilot" - an integrated plant for climate friendly E-fuels. In this pilot, wind energy is used for the production of green H2 and then synthesized for methanol production, which is in turn sent to Europe.

Mr. Anish Paunwala from Linde India sees great potential for India in the clean hydrogen business. While the country has a strong standing in the international market for conventional hydrogen already, last mile connectivity and economies of scale in production are very important factors to become successful in the future. Germany and India will be required to go hand in hand in terms of technology paired with product development and application.

Download the report Status Quo Mapping of Hydrogen Production and Consumption in India

Download the report Strategy Road-Map for Deployment of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Public Transport Buses in Kerala, India