Hydrogen: A Key Lever Towards a Greener Future for India

Keynote from Dr. R. R. Sonde, Professor, IIT Delhi, an event on "Transition to Net Zero from Carbon to Clean," organised at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The discussion focuses on the utilisation of hydrogen towards a greener future.

“Why Net Zero is important: we are beyond the tipping point; global warming is over; it’s boiling now." Dr. RR. Sonde urged people to come together as we may be the last species of homo sapiens, emphasising this is not an exaggeration. The earth is depleted by 70% more than its replenishing capabilities; it’s a ticking bomb. He further added that the government has identified eight levers; hydrogen is a key lever towards a greener future. There is an urgent need to address climate change and figure out ways to reduce carbon emissions. While it poses challenges, it opens up a world of new possibilities for energy systems. “95% of the emissions are coming from the rich developed nations, who have caused the most harm to the environment, and now they are asking India to do something," he acknowledged, that we must do something. Even if developed nations have the privilege and resources to transition smoothly towards greener energy, they struggle. It becomes crucial for India to find solutions to produce the required power for their population without carbon and simultaneously develop technologies to use hydrogen to meet energy demands. India is highly dependent on the imports of fossil fuels and the production of energy through thermal plants operated on coal.

4.1 Dr. R. R. Sonde on "Transition to Net Zero from Carbon to Clean," at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

Challenges and Limitations 

Renewables have limitations and challenges, and think tanks and governments are, therefore, looking towards ‘Hydrogen’. We are developing technologies to produce green hydrogen with net zero carbon emissions. However, there is no single solution to the climate crisis, but clean hydrogen production should be explored further. India needs a holistic approach to addressing the climate crisis through collaborative efforts and disciplines. Dr. RR Sonde highlighted that the current method of producing ammonia using fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. He further added that we can use renewable energy sources to produce ammonia without any release of CO2, providing solutions. “We need to identify the problem before we can solve it," he said.

Out of eight levers, hydrogen and CCUS (carbon capture, utilisation, and storage) are two key levers for India. He said, “According to my modelling calculations, about 21% of the problem can be solved with these two." India today consumes about 10,000 terawatts of electrical energy. It's energy for industry, buildings, agriculture, and water-based water treatment. Dr. Sonde highlighted, “Out of these 16%, i.e., 1600 terawatts is electricity and 84% is non-electricity," this is expected to change in the coming years. This energy supports 3.5 trillion dollars of the economy; it has the potential to become 27 trillion dollars. 

He believes we will have to beat 28,000 terawatt hours in the next three decades. Talking about the energy mix, he presented a pie chart that indicated we need 9,000 terawatts from hydro, biomass, nuclear, and fossil fuels; CCUS will form about 11,750. Today, fossil fuels contribute to about 60% of our energy. By 2050, it will contribute to 40% of our energy. 

Green Hydrogen’s future

Hydro has the potential of 69,000 megawatts........

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