Green Hydrogen Standards and Approval Systems in India

Streamlining the Green Hydrogen Ecosystem for Accelerated Implementation of the National Green Hydrogen Mission

Karan Kothadiya, Virendra Ade, Ribhav Pal, and Pratheek Sripathy.
May 2024 | Industrial Sustainability

Suggested Citation: MNRE and CEEW. 2024. Green Hydrogen Standards and Approval Systems in India: Streamlining the Green Hydrogen Ecosystem for Accelerated Implementation of the National Green Hydrogen Mission. New Delhi: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

Overview

This MNRE report, with CEEW as a knowledge partner, describes the various dimensions of regulatory frameworks, standards, testing infrastructure and permissions required for setting up green hydrogen projects in India. It offers insights into the current status quo and identifies actionable steps for implementing the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM). Finally, the report seeks to inform stakeholders on the path forward towards developing a sustainable and resilient green hydrogen ecosystem in India.

The NGHM was launched in January 2023, with a target of producing 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030 to position India as a key player in the global green hydrogen market. A crucial consideration in scaling up the production of green hydrogen is the establishment of safety and performance standards tailored to India's ecosystem. These standards will ensure quality, safety, and interoperability in the green hydrogen value chain, and foster synergy, collaboration, efficiency, innovation, and market competitiveness. Setting up new hydrogen production capacities requires permissions from central, state, and local governments; streamlining these permissions and developing a single window clearance can accelerate NGHM implementation.

Key Highlights

• Standards related to the green hydrogen value chain are broadly divided into four categories: production, storage and transportation, end-use applications, and general safety.
• Across these categories, 87 standards have already been adopted or developed in India, and 59 are under development. Further 52 standards that exist globally, could be considered for adoption in India. For the 3 components, there are no Indian or international standards available for reference.
• Five entities in India—the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD), the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO), the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) — develop or adopt standards related to the green hydrogen value chain.
• Indian entities have signed Memorandums of Understanding with seven international organisations focused on developing standards for various components of the green hydrogen value chain. Enhanced collaboration with these organisations could accelerate the alignment of Indian standards with global standards, bridging existing gaps more efficiently.
• The currently available testing infrastructure in India is inadequate to meet the requirements under NGHM. Corresponding to 87 existing standards in India, recognised labs for testing are available only for six standards, four of which are covered partially.
• Setting up green hydrogen projects requires permission from the central government, state governments, and local bodies.
• Out of the total 90 permissions required for green hydrogen projects, state government entities hold jurisdiction for 59, central government entities hold jurisdiction for 24 permissions and 7 permissions fall under local government bodies.
• 31 of the 90 permissions belong to the pre-establishment stage, 57 to the pre-operation stage, and 2 to the operations and management stages.