Centre readies National Hydrogen mission, Rs 800 crore outlay planned

In the Budget Speech 2021-22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed to launch a National Hydrogen Mission for generating hydrogen from green power sources. 

Zee Business has accessed the draft National hydrogen energy mission document which envisages supporting green hydrogen technologies for meeting future demands for energy in transportation, industry and other sectors through Research & Development, pilot projects, infrastructure development, facilitative policy support and international linkages. 

The mission document will soon go to the cabinet for approval, inter-ministerial consultations are in the final stages said sources.

For the first phase of the mission, specific activities have been identified and the financial outlay of Rs 800 crores is proposed from 2021 to 2024 said officials. This public funding support for pilot projects, infrastructure development and R&D is expected to be leveraged with investments of around Rs 11000 crores from industrial and institutional stakeholders. 

Sources said four broad categories activities have been identified for investments - Pilot Projects, Infrastructure & Supply chain, R&D, Regulations and public outreach. 

Pilot projects with a total cost of Rs 890 crores which will have centre's support of Rs 445 crores will include Decentralised production of green hydrogen, Fuel cell buses in public transport, Green hydrogen in steel industry & Fuel cell powered trains. 
For Infrastructure & supply chain a cost of Rs 340 crores has been envisaged which will see Rs 170 crores as Government of India's support. Infrastructure for hydrogen will include Refuelling stations, Hydrogen hubs, Hydrogen in existing gas supply networks.