Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Wednesday addressed the 2nd International Conference on Green Hydrogen and appealed to the scientific community of the world to help in the formulation of policies for the green hydrogen sector.
PM Modi said, “We will have to encourage scientists and innovators throughout the world in all possible ways to study various dimensions of green hydrogen. Please continuously suggest policy interventions that will give a boost to this sector. We want to make India a global hub for the production, utilization, and export of Green Hydrogen,” he asserted.
The Prime Minister highlighted the critical transformation that is sweeping through the world, a call to action toward energy transition and sustainability. He noted that on green energy, India has led the way among G-20 nations to fulfill Paris commitments. It did so, in fact, nine years ahead of the 2030 target.
“In the last ten years, we have increased our non-fossil fuel capacity by nearly 300 percent. Our solar energy capacity rose more than 3,000 percent in this period. We are not stopping here. We are committed to further improving our existing approach,” said PM Modi.
PM Modi dwelled on the advantages green hydrogen provided. According to him, it would be able to decarbonize hard-to-electrify industries such as refineries, fertilizers, steel production, and heavy-duty transportation. He explained, “Green hydrogen will, therefore, be in a position to substantially contribute in these sectors.
It already launched the National Green Hydrogen Mission to scale up innovation, infrastructure, and investments. “We are investing in the latest R&D. Industry-academia collaborations are being forged,” PM Modi said.
Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri addressed the summit. He referred to India’s natural advantage in green hydrogen production due to the low price and abundance of solar energy. “India’s installed solar capacity has expanded 32 times from 2.6 GW in 2014 to 85.5 GW. We now have one of the largest synchronized grids anywhere on the planet – a grid capable of handling intermittent renewable energy. India is well-positioned to drive most of the world’s growth in green energy demand due to rising domestic demand in every sector of our economy”, he said.
He further added that Indian engineering talent would make the transition to a greener economy smooth, hence making the country a very important market for green hydrogen.
Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi spoke at the summit and termed green hydrogen as a game changer for sustainability. “India is marching ahead as a major global player in the green hydrogen market. And that is why we launched the Green Hydrogen Mission. Bringing green hydrogen into the energy mix of India. And industrial processes will further strengthen our global positioning and serve environmental and social objectives,” Joshi added.
The summit brought forth a number of areas highlighting India’s commitment. And initiative in driving green hydrogen technology, and its role in the world’s energy scenario. Innovation and investment are the two important foci that have given India the leading edge toward transforming into a sustainable energy future.
ANI
