First India-Specific Industry Coalition for Hydrogen ‘India H2 Alliance’ Formed; Reliance, Chart to Lead

In a significant development towards building hydrogen economy and supply chain in India, global energy and industrial majors joined hands to form a new energy transition coalition - the ‘India H2 Alliance’ (IH2A).

Taking the driver’s seat, Nasdaq-listed and global energy player Chart Industries and Reliance Industries will act as steering group co-leads and will contribute towards developing hydrogen production and storage, industrial and transport use-cases in India.

The move is in-line with the Government’s announcement of the launch of Hydrogen Energy Mission in 2021-22, and in this regard it urged major industry players to come forward and provide their helping hands.

The focus of the alliance would be on commercializing hydrogen technologies and systems to build net-zero carbon pathways in India.

Commenting on the launch, Jillian Evanko, CEO and President of Chart Industries and founding member of India H2 Alliance, said, “proactive industry collaboration with the government is key to creating a hydrogen economy in India. Through India H2 Alliance, we will bring best-in-class hydrogen technology, equipment and know-how to create a hydrogen supply chain in India, and in many cases, Make in India.”

Evanko further added, “by prioritizing national hydrogen demonstration projects, innovations to further reduce the cost of hydrogen will become prominent, locally.”

Further, the newly-formed IH2A alliance would help in developing blue and green hydrogen production and storage as well as build hydrogen-use industrial clusters and transport use-cases with hydrogen-powered fuel cells.

It’s focus would be mainly on industrial clusters, specifically steel, refineries, fertilizer, cement, ports and logistics; as well as heavy-duty transport use cases and the establishment of standards for storage and transport hydrogen in pressurized and liquefied form.

“India needs to identify and execute large-scale hydrogen demonstration projects if it wants to be part of the global supply chain for hydrogen. Beyond R&D pilots, India needs ‘hydrogen-valley’ style national initiatives across a region like a high-traffic industrial freight corridor, with multiple use-cases. Such hydrogen-related systems projects are strategic for India’s energy transition plans, linking closely with renewables and battery-technology. These require multiple industry players to come together and form consortia to implement such projects. IH2A will take the lead on such initiatives,” said Anurag Pandey, R&D Team Lead, Reliance Industries Ltd.

Moreover, the five focus areas of the Alliance on which it will work with the government

includes –

1). Develop a National Hydrogen Policy and Roadmap 2021-2030.

2). Creation of a National H2 Taskforce and Mission in a public-private partnership format.

3). Identify National Large H2 Demonstration-Stage Projects.

4). Help create a national India H2 Fund.

5). Create hydrogen-linked capacity covering hydrogen production, storage and distribution, industrial use-cases, transport use-cases and standards.

Besides, the India H2 Alliance will have a panel of hydrogen experts and an ‘IH2A Secretariat’ to support member companies, and this Secretariat will be run by consulting firm FTI Consulting.

Meanwhile, the alliance has been intended to collaborate with private sector partners, the government and the public to ensure that the costs of hydrogen production should be brought down, a local supply chain for hydrogen and related applications grows and India is able to achieve its net-zero carbon ambitions by developing a hydrogen economy that complements its national renewable energy and EV/battery-technology plans.