The Government of India, in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), successfully concluded the three-day International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH) 2023 on Friday at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.

The Valedictory Session of the Conference, jointly organized by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, CSIR, and the Office of Principal Scientific Advisor, featured esteemed speakers including Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing & Urban Affairs; Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Science and Technology and Minister of State for Prime Minister's Office as well as Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Shri Amitabh Kant, the G20 Sherpa during India's Presidency year; Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India; Shri Bhupinder Bhalla, Secretary, MNRE; and Shri Vinit Mittal, Chair, CII Task-force on Green Hydrogen. The valedictory session can be watched here.

Throughout the conference, which witnessed over three days of intense deliberations, with more than 2700 delegates, 135 speakers, seven plenary sessions, 16 technical sessions, and four panel discussions, experts focused on the green hydrogen ecosystem.

During his address, Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas Shri Hardeep Singh Puri emphasized that green hydrogen has the potential to transform India from an energy importer to an energy provider and exporter. He highlighted India's advantage in terms of substantial demand, capacity to produce and store green hydrogen, and meeting critical requirements to become a hub for this green fuel. Shri Puri also expressed optimism that green hydrogen, along with other green fuels, could turn India's current $200 billion energy import bill into a $300 billion export advantage in the future.

Dr. Jitendra Singh thanked Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for his vision in approving the Green Hydrogen Mission. He emphasized India's commitment to addressing climate change and stressed the importance of affordability, accessibility, and acceptability as key attributes for India's path to self-reliance in green hydrogen and furthering sustainable solutions.

G20 Sherpa Shri Amitabh Kant highlighted India's potential to become a global exporter of green hydrogen and energy, emphasizing the need to drive down the cost of green hydrogen from $4.5/kg to $1/kg by 2030. He commended oil companies and refineries for leading the shift to green hydrogen and encouraged private sectors such as cement and steel to follow suit. Shri Kant reiterated that India's focus should primarily be on its core competitive advantage in green hydrogen.

Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood emphasized the importance of international collaboration in the green hydrogen space, as 16 countries, including India, have already unveiled their green hydrogen action plans. He highlighted the increasing demand for green hydrogen, which is expected to jump five-fold by 2050, and emphasized the need for India-centric life cycle assessments and infrastructure development for the usage of green hydrogen in various sectors.

Secretary, MNRE Shri Bhupinder Bhalla expressed gratitude to all stakeholders for their contributions to the conference's success. He acknowledged the immense potential of green hydrogen and its transformative impact on India's energy landscape. Shri Bhalla emphasized the importance of international collaboration and highlighted the conference's role in fostering partnerships, collaborations, and innovative ideas. He stated that the conference and the green hydrogen mission will pave the way for R&D initiatives, pilot projects, and favorable policies to drive sustainable growth and accelerate the transition to clean and green energy.

Chair, CII Task-force on Green Hydrogen, Shri Vinit Mittal thanked the government of India for its guidance to the private sector and expressed confidence in making India self-reliant in energy through investments in the green hydrogen sector. He acknowledged the government's aggressive steps in decarbonization and promoting green growth, stating that green hydrogen is the new oil. Shri Mittal assured that the private sector would live up to the expectations of the Prime Minister and contribute to India's green growth mantra.

The International Conference on Green Hydrogen and the associated mission have laid the foundation for a shared vision to accelerate the transition to a future of clean and green energy.

Check out the conference website here: https://icgh.in. A brief presentation on the conference can be found here. The conference brochure can be found here and the conference flyer here.

Also read:

• 3-Day International Conference on Green Hydrogen begins in New Delhi

• India is Betting Big on Green Hydrogen: New & Renewable Energy Secretary, at ICGH-2023 Press Conference

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PIB DELHI | AM / DJM

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