Singh said India can supply green hydrogen and green ammonia at prices less than what other countries can offer.
“Now the only requirement we have from the developed world is to let the procurement of green hydrogen and green ammonia on a competitive basis,” Singh said speaking with the media after an interaction with stakeholders on Thursday.
He said these subsidies could be questioned. “We believe it to be a trade-distorting step which I think is actionable under the WTO rules,” he said at a press conference on Thursday.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a green hydrogen mission aimed at bolstering manufacturing of electrolysers and green hydrogen.
The government believes the green hydrogen mission can position India to export green hydrogen and green ammonia.
“We can produce green energy at very competitive rates. Now we can supply green ammonia and green hydrogen at prices that are less than what other countries can offer,” Singh said.
The government’s idea of coming out as the most competitive source of green hydrogen and green ammonia hinges on first-mover advantage and the scale of production.
“The world is looking for hydrogen to address these issues [carbon emissions]. We aim to emerge as the biggest providers of green hydrogen and green ammonia,” Singh added.
For manufacturing of electrolysers, which is also a part of the green hydrogen mission, the government will be introducing a production-linked incentive scheme.
The government expects electrolyser manufacturing capacities in India to come up by FY26 and until then there will not be any customs duty on its import.
On the issue of the mandated use of green hydrogen, Singh said it was being discussed earlier when grey or traditional hydrogen prices were cheaper than green hydrogen.
Norms and standards
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy will come out with detailed guidelines and standards for making India a global hub for hydrogen manufacturing. “We will come out with a detailed order after clearance by the Cabinet,” Singh told the media.
The hydrogen mission is expected to attract ₹8 lakh crore of investment and create 600,000 new jobs.
