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India faces growing energy demands, and hydrogen could play a significant role in addressing this challenge.

Details

India plans to create a “net-zero” economy, meaning it wants to stop adding greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide) to the atmosphere by 2070. To do this, India needs to change how it produces and uses energy.

Currently, India is the world’s third-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, though its emissions per person are low compared to countries like the United States.

To reach net-zero by 2070, India plans to:

Use more clean energy (solar, wind, hydro, and nuclear).
Electrify things like cars and factories, so they run on electricity instead of fossil fuels.
Use hydrogen to replace fossil fuels in industries like steel and fertilizer production.

Why Is Electricity Demand Growing in India?

India’s economy is booming, and more people are using electricity for things like air conditioning, electric vehicles, and running factories. Experts predict a “steep increase” in electricity demand as India aims to become a developed country. For example, by 2040, the average person in India might use three times more electricity than today.

Currently, India depends heavily on coal for electricity (about 55-60% of its power comes from coal). But coal pollutes a lot, so India wants to switch to cleaner options. However, Clean energy sources like solar and wind can’t provide power all the time, and India’s electricity needs are growing by about 9% every year.

Hydrogen as fuel

Hydrogen is like a super versatile fuel. It can power vehicles, make electricity, or be used in factories to manufacture things like steel or fertilizers.

Currently, most hydrogen comes from natural gas, which creates pollution (this is called “grey hydrogen”). India wants to make “green hydrogen” using clean electricity from solar, wind, or nuclear power to split water into hydrogen and oxygen through a process called electrolysis. This doesn’t pollute.

India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to produce 5 million tons of green hydrogen by 2030. This could reduce carbon emissions by 28 million tons. But making this much hydrogen needs a lot of clean electricity—about 250 billion kilowatt-hours, which is more than all the renewable energy India has now.

Nuclear Energy

Nuclear power plants make electricity by splitting atoms, which doesn’t release carbon dioxide. Unlike solar (which only works when the sun shines) or wind (which depends on weather), nuclear plants run 24/7, providing steady power. This is called base-load power, and it’s crucial for keeping the lights on all the time.

India plans to build 100 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power by 2047. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is building Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Haryana. They’re also designing smaller reactors called Bharat Small Reactors (BSRs) for factories to use directly.

What is the Problem with Grid Stability?

The electricity grid needs to balance supply with demand every second. In the past, coal plants could easily adjust their output to match demand. But clean energy sources like solar and wind are trickier because they don’t produce power all the time.

If there’s too much or too little electricity, the grid can become unstable, causing blackouts. As India uses more renewables, keeping the grid stable is a big challenge.

Why Can’t Nuclear Plants Fix This Alone?

Technically, nuclear reactors are complex and not designed to change output quickly. It is like trying to slow down a huge train—it takes time and effort.
Economically, nuclear plants are expensive to build, so they need to run constantly to make back the money. Running them at low power wastes money because the costs don’t drop much.

How Can Hydrogen Help the Grid?

Electrolysers (machines that make hydrogen by splitting water) can act like a sponge for extra electricity.

When solar or wind produces too much power (like during a sunny day), electrolysers use that extra electricity to make hydrogen. This prevents wasting clean energy and keeps the grid stable without forcing nuclear plants to slow down.

The hydrogen can be:

Stored and used in factories or vehicles.
Turned back into electricity using fuel cells when demand is high.

Government wants to connect electrolysers and battery storage to the grid to “shape demand,” so nuclear plants and renewables can run smoothly.

Challenges

Huge Electricity Needs: Making 5 million tons of green hydrogen by 2030 needs 115 GW of renewable power, almost doubling India’s current renewable capacity.
Water Shortages: Electrolysis uses a lot of water (10 liters per kilogram of hydrogen). India is water-stressed, so finding enough clean water is tough. Solutions like desalination (turning seawater into fresh water) could help but need more infrastructure.
Grid Upgrades: India’s grid needs modernizing to handle renewables and hydrogen production. This costs finances and time.
High Costs: Building nuclear plants and electrolysers is expensive. India needs investments (like the $35 billion it plans to spend on clean energy by 2030) and policies to make it affordable.
Coal Dependence: Coal is cheap and abundant, so phasing it out is hard, especially when demand is soaring.

Steps taken by Government

Green Hydrogen Mission: The government offers incentives for green hydrogen made from solar, wind, or nuclear power. It’s also drafting rules to call hydrogen “low-carbon” if it emits less than 2 kg of CO2 per kg of hydrogen, including nuclear-powered hydrogen.
Nuclear Expansion: NPCIL is building 26 PHWRs and planning small reactors for industries.
Renewable Energy Push: India aims for 500 GW of non-fossil power (solar, wind, hydro, nuclear) by 2030. It’s already hit 220 GW in 2025, up from 76 GW in 2014.
Energy Storage: India plans to build 47 GW of battery storage by 2032 to store extra renewable energy, plus 70 GW of batteries and 13 GW of pumped hydro storage by 2030.
Policy Support: The government uses subsidies, tax breaks, and green bonds (special loans for clean energy) to fund projects.

Way Forward

India’s energy choices affect the whole world. With 1.4 billion people, it’s a huge market and a major player in climate change. If India succeeds, it could: