New Delhi (The Hawk): Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy Shri R.K Singh and German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Change HE Dr. Robert Habeck signed a Joint declaration of Intent on Indo- German Hydrogen Task Force virtually today.&nbsp; Shri Singh informed that India has emerged as one of the world leaders in energy transition with the fastest rate of growth of renewable energy capacities in the world.&nbsp;He told his German Counterpart that in India we have a transparent bidding system, an open market, an expeditious dispute resolution system, and we are globally acknowledged as one of the most attractive destinations for investment in RE. Shri Singh informed that India has emerged as one of the world leaders in energy transition with the fastest rate of growth of renewable energy capacities in the world.&nbsp;He told his German Counterpart that in India we have a transparent bidding system, an open market, an expeditious dispute resolution system, and we are globally acknowledged as one of the most attractive destinations for investment in RE.<img src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/IMG-20220502-WA0027MU5Q.jpg">Shri Singh emphasized that India has huge ambitions in energy transition.&nbsp;It will add 500GW of non fossil fuel capacity by 2030. India is coming out with bids for green hydrogen. The Minister further stressed on the need for developing storage for balancing RE such as pumped hydro and battery storage.&nbsp;It will also need large capacities of electrolysers manufacturing for Green Hydrogen for which India is already planning bids. He invited German industry to come and compete for developing this ecosystem in India.<img src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/IMG-20220502-WA00280JDQ.jpg">The German Minister appreciated India's ambitious plans for RE expansion and expressed his interest in opportunities for investment in offshore wind farms in India given German expertise in the same.Under the agreement which was signed today both countries&nbsp;will establish an Indo-German Green Hydrogen Task Force to strengthen mutual cooperation in production, utilization, storage and distribution of Green Hydrogen through building enabling frameworks for projects, regulations and standards, trade and joint research and development (R&amp;D) projects.&nbsp;India has launched the National Green Hydrogen Mission with the goal to make India the global hub of Green Hydrogen production and export. Germany also has developed an ambitious National Hydrogen Strategy with the aim to assume global leadership in hydrogen technologies. Blessed with abundant renewable energy potential and experience of implementing renewable energy projects, India can produce low-cost Green Hydrogen to progressively decarbonize a range of industry sectors, and also export it to meet global demand. With strengths in innovation and manufacturing, Germany is already implementing numerous hydrogen projects.Trade of Green Hydrogen and/or its derivatives such as Green Ammonia / Green Methanol would form the cornerstone of the collaboration. Institutional collaboration in joint research, light house projects, innovation clusters and hydrogen hubs would catalyse the synergistic efforts of the two countries. The ambitious deployment targets would also create attractive investment and business opportunities for industries from both countries.India and Germany share the common goal to decarbonize their economies. Both nations are committed to develop a national green hydrogen economy. The common long-term goal is to reduce emissions and protect the environment. This requires a global upscale of green hydrogen production and offtake. India and Germany therefore support the establishment of a global green hydrogen economy, to facilitate the achievement of the goals under the Paris Agreement. Both sides are convinced that common goals can be achieved better in close cooperation, building on individual strengths and capacities.

﻿Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy Shri R.K Singh and German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Change HE Dr. Robert Habeck signed a Joint declaration of Intent on Indo- German Hydrogen Task Force virtually today. 

Joint declaration of Intent on Indo–German Green Hydrogen Task Force signed

﻿Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy Shri R.K Singh and German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Change HE Dr. Robert Habeck signed a Joint declaration of Intent on Indo- German Hydrogen Task Force virtually today. 



New Delhi (The Hawk):&nbsp;Hydrogen-powered bicycles and cars have been in serial production for years. In these vehicles, the regular polluting lithium battery has been replaced by a fuel cell that converts hydrogen, a non-polluting fuel, to electricity. Most of today’s hydrogen is, however, still produced from natural gas in a highly polluting process and is therefore referred to as gray hydrogen. Not only is natural gas a non-renewable source of energy, but it also creates carbon dioxide gas when burned, damaging our environment, and contributing to global warming.Enter a new TAU discovery, which may boost the industrial transition from using polluting gray hydrogen to environmentally friendly green hydrogen: Researchers identified a mutant of a known strain of microscopic algae that allows, for the first time, the production of green hydrogen gas via photosynthesis on a scale suited to industrial requirements. Hydrogen gas can thus be produced solely through renewable energy and in a climate-neutral manner, reducing our carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions dramatically to stabilize global temperatures.Humanity's transition to the use of green hydrogen may be the ultimate solution to the problem of global warming.Continuous Production AchievedThe study was led by doctoral student Tamar Elman, under the supervision of Prof. Iftach Yacoby from the Renewable Energy Laboratory of The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences at Tel Aviv University. The study was recently published in the prestigious journal Cell Reports Physical Science.While production of green hydrogen is possible through solar panels wired to devices that perform water breakdown into hydrogen and oxygen (electrolysers), the researchers explain that this is an expensive process, requiring precious metals and distilled water. In nature, hydrogen is produced as a by-product of photosynthesis for periods of minutes by micro-algae, unicellular algae found in every water reservoir and even in the soil. For this biological process to become a sustainable source of energy, however, humanity must engineer micro-algae strains that produce hydrogen for days and weeks.Prof. Yacoby explains that as part of the laboratory tests, the researchers identified a new mutant in microscopic algae that prevents oxygen from accumulating at any lighting intensity, and therefore hypothesized that continuous hydrogen production could be achieved from it. With the help of bioreactor measurements in liter volumes, they were indeed able to prove that hydrogen can be produced continuously for more than 12 days.According to Prof. Yacoby, the new mutant overcomes two major barriers that have so far hindered the continuous production of hydrogen:Accumulation of oxygen in the process of photosynthesis - As a rule, oxygen poisons the enzyme that produces hydrogen in algae, but in the mutation, increased respiration eliminates the oxygen and allows favorable conditions for continuous hydrogen production.Loss of energy to competing processes – And this includes carbon dioxide fixation into sugar. This, too, has been solved in the mutant and most of the energy is being channeled for continuous hydrogen production.To industrialize these results, the research team led by Prof. Yacoby is working on a pilot program for larger volumes and the development of methods that will allow the time of hydrogen harvest to be extended, to reduce its cost to competitive levels. "The rate of hydrogen production from the new mutant reaches one-tenth of the possible theoretical rate, and with the help of additional research it is possible to improve it even further," concludes Prof. Yacoby.

Hydrogen-powered bicycles and cars have been in serial production for years. In these vehicles, the regular polluting lithium battery has been replaced by a fuel cell that converts hydrogen, a non-polluting fuel, to electricity.

The Ultimate Solution to Global Warming!

New Delhi: Asserting that New Delhi's role in green hydrogen is important, Ugo Astuto, Ambassador of the European Union to India and Bhutan has said that both India and the EU need to work together for a green future."India's role in green hydrogen is very important. We need to work together for a green future. We are both massively investing in renewables. It's already happening and it'll be fast," Ugo Astuto said during an event in Delhi on Thursday. A panel discussion was held here on 'India-EU Cooperation in Green Hydrogen: Towards Sustainable Energy Transition'. The panel said that Cooperation with the EU is very valuable to scale up production and utilization of Green Hydrogen in India.The Ambassador of the European Union highlighted the potential of the India-EU partnership in Green Hydrogen and collective action on climate change mitigation."Glad to participate in this seminar organized by RIS. The potential of EU-India cooperation in Green Hydrogen is very significant!" he said.Vandana Kumar, Additional Secretary Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) @mnreindia addressed the conclave on India-EU Connectivity Partnership cooperation on Green Hydrogen and highlighted India's mega renewable energy transition efforts and practical agenda on India-EU cooperation."Cooperation with EU is very valuable to scale up production and utilization of Green Hydrogen. Partnership in Technology innovation and regulation crucial to harness Green Hydrogen potential for energy transition," said Vandana Kumar. The opening remarks were made by Dr Seshadri Chari, Member Governing Council RIS, a think-tank for fostering effective policy dialogue and capacity-building among developing countries on global economic issues.He said that hydrogen as a viable source of energy is possible and inevitable."India has been pioneering research in this field even before others are forced to look at it as an alternative due to geopolitical compulsions. Storage and transportation are challenges and the National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHEM) will address these."Tudor Constantinescu, Principal Adviser, for Energy 4 Europe also addressed the India-EU connectivity partnership forum online and highlighted investment, infrastructure, storage, R&amp;D, and standards/regulation for green Hydrogen.The India-EU Leaders' Meeting on May 8, 2021, announced a Connectivity Partnership, which envisaged a multi-pillar approach covering energy, digital, people-to-people and transport sectors, with an emphasis on rule-based, inclusive, quality and resilient connectivity.As the green transition is a priority to both India and the EU, a series of workshops on important topics under the Connectivity Partnership is being organized.RIS, along with the Ministry of External Affairs, the Government of India and the Delegation of the European Union to India, organized a hybrid programme on 'India-EU Cooperation in Green Hydrogen: Towards Sustainable Energy Transition'.&nbsp;—ANI

Asserting that New Delhi's role in green hydrogen is important, Ugo Astuto, Ambassador of the European Union to India and Bhutan has said that both India and the EU need to work together for a green future.

India, EU Need To Work Together For Green Future: EU Envoy

New Delhi:&nbsp;India needs to form Green Hydrogen Corridors and governments can look at providing grants to startups as well as support entrepreneurs to promote green hydrogen, NITI Aayog said on Wednesday.In a report titled 'Harnessing Green Hydrogen - Opportunities for Deep Decarbonisation in India', the Aayog also suggested that there is a need to facilitate investment through demand aggregation and dollar-based bidding for green hydrogen."Three hydrogen corridors should be developed across the country based on state grand challenges ... The governments can provide grants and loans to startups and projects, support entrepreneurs through incubators and investor networks, and put in place regulations that manage first-mover risks, " the report said. The government can also use public procurement and purchase incentives (for green hydrogen) to create demand in niche markets and crowd in private investment, it added.The report suggested that the government should promote export of green hydrogen and green hydrogen-embedded products through a global hydrogen alliance.Green Hydrogen/ Green Ammonia is defined as hydrogen/ ammonia produced by way of electrolysis of water using renewable energy, including renewable energy which has been banked and the hydrogen/ammonia produced from biomass.Most large economies including India have committed to net zero targets.Transition to green hydrogen and green ammonia is one of the major requirements for reduction of emissions, especially in the hard to abate sectors.The report predicted that hydrogen demand in India could grow more than fourfold by 2050, representing almost 10 per cent of global hydrogen demand.In the longer term, steel and heavy-duty trucking are likely to drive the majority of demand growth, accounting for almost 52 per cent of total demand by 2050, it added.Emphasising that the roadmap should also identify a timeline and scale of manufacturing support for electrolysers, the report said India may aim for 25 GW of electrolysers by 2030, while also investing USD 1 billion in R&amp;D to catalyse the development of commercial green hydrogen technologies across the value chain.It noted that radically improving the speed of regulatory clearances coupled with preferential treatment in public tenders will help catalyse local manufacturing.The report suggested that grand challenges, public-private venture capital and financing test bench infrastructure could be part of the R&amp;D investments.The report aims to serve as a key knowledge base for India's Green Hydrogen Policy discourse and private sector investment decisions. —IANS

 India needs to form Green Hydrogen Corridors and governments can look at providing grants to startups as well as support entrepreneurs to promote green hydrogen, NITI Aayog said on Wednesday.

India Needs To Form Green Hydrogen Corridors: NITI Aayog

New Delhi (The Hawk): A new report released today by NITI Aayog highlights thatgreen hydrogen can substantially spur industrial decarbonisation and economic growth for India in the coming decades.The report was launched by Shri Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog&nbsp;and&nbsp;Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog. Harnessing Green Hydrogen: Opportunities for Deep Decarbonisation in India provides apathway to accelerate the emergence of a green hydrogen economy, which is critical for India to achieve its net-zero ambitions by 2070.The report,co-authored by NITI Aayog and RMI,underscores that green hydrogen—produced by renewable energy through electrolysis of water—will be crucial for achieving decarbonisation of harder-to-abate sectors such as, fertilisers, refining, methanol, maritime shipping, iron &amp; steel and transport. It further states that with emerging global momentum on hydrogen, Indiacan situate thisdecarbonisation opportunity not just within the context of a low-carbon economy but also as an enabler of energy security and economic development for the nation.Speaking on the occasion, Shri Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog said,”An important message of the report was that green hydrogen can potentially provide a replacement of fossil fuels in industrial processes.” He added, “ The next steps at the policy level could involve arriving at the correct mix between mandates/regulations and price instruments.”Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO NITI Aayog, made a brief presentation on the report. He said that the report was an outcome of detailed study spread over a year.&nbsp;He highlighted the importance of green hydrogen from the point of view of energy security and the need to achieve size and scale to push down costs of green hydrogen. He remarked that, given the right policies, India can emerge as the least cost producer and bring down the price of green hydrogen to US$ 1 per kg by 2030.While hydrogen can be produced from multiple sources, India’s distinct advantage in low-cost renewable electricity means thatgreen hydrogenwill emerge as the most cost-effective form. The report concludes that hydrogen demand in India could grow more than fourfold by 2050, representing almost 10% of global demand. Given that the majority of this demand could be met with green hydrogen in the longterm, the cumulative value of the green hydrogen market in India could reach US $8 billion by 2030.Highlighting the opportunity, Clay Stranger, RMI Managing Director, said that there is significant global interest in green hydrogen and countries are in the first stages of formulating a strategy and this will ultimately decide the winners and losers of the hydrogen economy. The report can become a reference for policy making in India.The report describes pathways thatcancapture the benefits of green hydrogenNear-term policy measurescan bring down the current costs of green hydrogen to make it competitive with the existinggrey hydrogen (hydrogen produced by natural gas) prices. Medium-term price targets should be set to guide the industry towards making green hydrogen the most competitive form of hydrogen.Government can encourage near term market development by identifying industrial clusters and enacting associated viability gap funding, mandatesand targets.Opportunities around research and development and manufacturing of components like electrolysers need to be identified and appropriately encouraged with adequate financial mechanisms such as production-linked incentive (PLI) schemesto enable 25 GW ofmanufacturing capacity of electrolysers by 2028.A globally competitive green hydrogen industry can lead to exports in green hydrogen and hydrogen-embedded low-carbon products like green ammonia and green steelthat can unlock 95 GW of electrolysis capacity in the nation by 2030.NITI Aayog’s partner for this report, RMI, works for the transformation of&nbsp;global energy systems through market-driven solutions to align with a 1.5°C future and secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all. It works in the world’s most critical geographies and engages businesses, policymakers, communities, and NGOs to identify and scale up energy system interventions that will cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent by 2030. Partner institutions play a critical role in creating a knowledge ecosystem for NITI Aayog. NITI Aayog engages with partners to jointly work on key policy issues and leverages expertise in respective areas.

A new report released today by NITI Aayog highlights thatgreen hydrogen can substantially spur industrial decarbonisation and economic growth for India in the coming decades.

Green Hydrogen Is Critical To India’s Economic Development And Net-Zero Ambitions	

New Delhi (The Hawk): Energy major Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with M/s Greenko ZeroC Private Limited (Greenko), to jointly pursue opportunities in Renewables, Green Hydrogen, Green Ammonia and other derivatives of green hydrogen.The MoU, valid for two years, was inked in New Delhi by ONGC Director Onshore Shri Anurag Sharma and Greenko CEO &amp; Managing Director Shri Anil Kumar Chalamalasetty, in the presence of Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas &amp; Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Hardeep Singh Puri. Secretary (MoP&amp;NG) Shri Pankaj Jain, ONGC CMD Dr. Alka Mittal along with ONGC Directors, other senior officials from MoP&amp;NG , ONGC and Greenko were also present. Greenko is one of India’s leading renewable energy Companies.This MoU is in line with the National Hydrogen Mission launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister in making India a global green hydrogen hub. The activities envisaged under this MoU will contribute towards India’s target of producing of 5 million tonnes of Green hydrogen per annum by 2030. This MoU will also act as a stepping stone for ONGC to achieve renewable energy targets as per its Energy Strategy 2040. As the share of renewables in the energy mix is rising driven by cost competitiveness, climate change awareness and strong regulatory push, ONGC aims to meet its objectives such as de-risking of portfolio against long term disruptions and reducing carbon footprint by moving into renewables space.

Energy major Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with M/s Greenko ZeroC Private Limited (Greenko), to jointly pursue opportunities in Renewables, Green Hydrogen, Green Ammonia and other derivatives of green hydrogen.

ONGC To Make Green Hydrogen; Inks MoU With India’s Leading Renewable Energy Company

New Delhi (The Hawk): Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today announced financial aid of Rs 3.29 crore to a Hydrogen StartUp from Maharashtra for indigenous development of Hydrogen Sensing &amp; Analysis Technology.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Hydrogen Startup funding is in tune with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of National Hydrogen Mission (NHM) launched on India’s 75th Independence Day, last year from ramparts of the Red Fort. He said, the NHM aims to aid the government in meeting its climate targets and making India a green hydrogen hub. This will help in meeting the target of production of 5 million tonnes of Green hydrogen by 2030 and the related development of renewable energy capacity, the Minister added.
Dr Jitendra Singh presided over the signing of an MoU between Technology Development Board under DST and M/s Multi Nano Sense Technologies Private Limited, Maharashtra to support the manufacturing of Hydrogen sensors indigenously.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, the company is developing an indigenous cutting edge hydrogen analysis sensor for new age applications. The development is also related to the universal miniaturised core sensor designs for leak detection and/ or analysis of hydrogen. The patented hydrogen gas sensor and analyser is based on a core sensor; which has been conceptualised, developed, manufactured and serviced entirely in India. The Minister informed that at present, it is heavily dependent on importing sensors, as all core sensor elements are imported from China, USA, UK, Japan and Germany.
The major quality of these sensors is that they do not face any cross interference from other combustible or reducing gases; can function in air as well as inert/ vacuum background and can perform analysis from 1ppm to 100% pure Hydrogen. With this technology, India can easily penetrate the global market to complement domestic demand through their Made in India products. The sensor has several unique and path breaking features such as Minimum detection: Parts Per Million (PPM) range; Maximum detection: 100% Pure Hydrogen; Instant response within 3 seconds; low power consumption for core sensor operation. Portable detectors can operate continuously upto 36 hours on single charge; non-corrosive; long life of 5 years etc.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, the demand for energy is growing and with the limitation of existing resources, there is a need for an alternative fuel. He said, ‘Hydrogen’ envisages being the future fuel to replace fossil fuel and therefore production of Hydrogen fuel by using power from renewable energy, termed as green hydrogen is one of the major requirements towards environmentally sustainable energy security of the nation. The Minister added that as per NITI Aayog’s report titled ‘Harnessing Green Hydrogen: Opportunities for Deep Decarbonisation in India’ Hydrogen will provide a pathway to accelerate the emergence of a green hydrogen economy, which is critical for India to achieve its net-zero ambitions by 2070.
Rajesh Kumar Pathak, IP&amp;TAFS, Secretary, TDB said that, “The target of net-zero emissions by 2070, as said by Hon’ble PM at COP26 Summit, Glasgow, can be achieved by promoting alternative energy resources. Hydrogen is one such resource which requires indigenous ecosystem development including safety &amp; security during its usage. As an initial step in this direction, TDB is supporting startup ‘M/s Multi Nano Sense’ for development and production of highly advanced leakage detection sensors to detect hydrogen leakage, and to enhance safety and security of the systems”.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today announced financial aid of Rs 3.29 crore to a Hydrogen StartUp from Maharashtra for indigenous development of Hydrogen Sensing & Analysis Technology.

Dr Jitendra Announces Financial Aid Of Rs 3.29 Crore To A Hydrogen Startup From Maharashtra 

New Delhi (The Hawk): Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &amp; Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today launched India’s first truly indigenously developed Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus developed by KPIT-CSIR in Pune.
Dr Jitendra Singh told the gathering that Prime Minister Modi's Hydrogen Vision is important for India to ensure Atma Nirbhar means of affordable and accessible clean energy, meeting climate change goals, and creating new entrepreneurs and jobs. He said, Green hydrogen is an excellent clean energy vector that enables deep decarbonization of difficult-to-abate emissions from the refining industry, fertiliser industry, steel industry, cement industry and also from the heavy commercial transportation sector.<img src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/djs-1(1)8J6L.jpg" alt="" style="height: 296px;width: 570px"/>
Dr Jitendra Singh informed that the fuel cell utilizes Hydrogen and Air to generate electricity to power the bus and the only effluent from   the bus is water, therefore making it possibly the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation. For comparison, a single diesel bus plying on long distance routes typically emits 100 tons of CO2 annually and there are over a million such buses in India.

<img src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/djs-2(2)MXK6.jpg" alt="" style="height: 314px;width: 535px"/>
Dr Jitendra Singh said, the high efficiency of fuel cell vehicles and the high energy density of hydrogen ensures that the operational costs in rupees per kilometre for fuel cell trucks and buses are lower than diesel powered vehicles and this can bring freight revolution in India. Moreover, Fuel Cell vehicles also give zero green-house gas emissions. The Minister lauded the joint development efforts of KPIT and CSIR-NCL and pointed out that the technology prowess of Indian scientists and engineers is no less than the best in the world and also at much lower costs.
Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that about 12-14% CO2 emissions and particulate emissions come from diesel powered heavy commercial vehicles and these are decentralised emissions and hence difficult to capture. The Minister said, Hydrogen fuelled vehicles provide an excellent means to eliminate the on-road emissions from this sector. He said, India is also aiming to increase inland waterways for freight and passenger transport.
Dr Jitendra Singh concluded that by achieving these goals, India can pole-vault from being net importer of fossil energy to becoming net exporter of clean hydrogen energy and thus, providing global leadership to India in hydrogen space by becoming a large green hydrogen producer and supplier of equipment for green hydrogen.
Later, Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated the Bisphenol-A pilot plant in CSIR-NCL and said   these pilot plants have successfully demonstrated novel process technologies developed by NCL under CSIR’s Covid-19 mission program and Bulk Chemicals mission program.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, Bisphenol-A (BPA) is an important feedstock for the production of epoxy resins, polycarbonate and other engineering plastics. He said, the global market for Bisphenol-A is projected to reach 7.1 Million Tons by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 2% over the analysis period 2020-2027. The entire estimated annual demand of 1, 35,000 tons in India is imported today. The Minister hoped that CSIR-NCL’s technology will enable import substitution of this important raw material and help in India’s Atmanirbhar initiative.

<img src="https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/image/djs-3(1)BXFO.JPG" alt="" style="height: 338px;width: 568px"/>
The uniqueness of the process developed by CSIR-NCL is a novel downstream process technology, which makes this indigenous technology competitive with global benchmarks. The process is ready for technology transfer and further co-development to commercial scale.&nbsp;

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today launched India’s first truly indigenously developed Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus developed by KPIT-CSIR in Pune.

Dr Jitendra unveils India’s first truly indigenously developed Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus

New Delhi (The Hawk): Experts from academia and industry deliberated about the current status of hydrogen as a source of energy and the role it can play in making India carbon neutral at the International Platform on Hydrogen Economy - An Industry-Academia Conclave on September 30, 2022.
While inaugurating the Conclave, Dr. V K Saraswat, Member Science, NITI Aayog, said that with hydrogen demand increasing, companies are taking steps to increase hydrogen production as well as invest in technologies for it. As a result cost of hydrogen production is likely to come down in the future.
“Journey towards green hydrogen is through blue hydrogen accompanied with carbon capture &amp; utilisation,” he pointed out.
Dr. Saraswat highlighted that we need to reduce the production cost of hydrogen and upscale production of electrolytes required for it, which are largely imported today. “Along with this, we need to clean up the grid, increase use of nuclear energy and produce cleaner fossil fuels for becoming carbon neutral,” he added.
Dr. S Chandrasekhar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST), urged the experts at the conference to work on a white paper to make hydrogen a real perfect future fuel. “India has planned to become carbon neutral by 2070. We need practical solutions to make this achievable and invest resources in the right direction to make that happen,” Dr. Chandrasekhar said.
The conclave was organised by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to support academia-industry interaction in order to address the industry-informed challenges. It provided the member countries and coalition partners opportunities to show their leadership in significant demonstrations of future uses for hydrogen, which are very likely to be at the forefront of building future global hydrogen economies.
Dr. Akhilesh Gupta, Senior Adviser, DST, emphasised on an overall strategy to work on Hydrogen and on international collaborations to reach the target of carbon neutrality by 2070.
Dr. Ashish Lele, Director, CSIR-NCL, elaborated on the current status of hydrogen technologies in the country, while Mr. Noe Van Hulst, Special Advisor Hydrogen, IEA &amp; Chair, IPHE, said that India has become an important player in the global enthusiasm on hydrogen and should look at potential collaborations with countries with hydrogen requirements in the future. Hydrogen Valley Platform and DST- India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) Industry Research &amp; Development Fellowship Programme (IRDFP) 2022 were also launched during the conclave.
Dr. Anita Gupta, Head Technology Missions Division (Energy, Water &amp; all Other) DST, and Dr. Ranjith Krisna Pai, Scientist, DST, also participated in the programme, which was attended by several academic and industry experts from the energy sector from India and abroad.
Hydrogen Valley Platform is a global initiative to optimize the hydrogen demand and supply by onsite generation and utilisation, to utilise the renewable resources effectively in water excess areas with geographical identity. The H2 Valley’s objectives will be achieved through cohorts of clean hydrogen valleys to combine complete hydrogen value chain (production, storage, and transportation) with the aim of reaching critical scale and unlocking learning curve effects. India has committed to facilitate the delivery of three clean hydrogen valleys in India by 2030. Industry Research &amp; Development Fellowship Programme (IRDFP) is jointly initiated by the Department of Science &amp; Technology (DST) and the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA). This fellowship programme will enhance the skills of the Fellows and will be of mutual benefit to both the industry and academic partners. Researchers placed into industry will have the opportunity to gain a working knowledge of relevant business drivers and will gain from industry’s established contacts. The up-skilling and industry exposure provided to academic researchers will prepare them for a career in industry and maximise the impact of the training received by these researchers so far. For faculty researchers, it is expected that their Fellowship will help seed subsequent industry collaborations and shape the direction of their research going forward.&nbsp;

Experts from academia and industry deliberated about the current status of hydrogen as a source of energy and the role it can play in making India carbon neutral at the International Platform on Hydrogen Economy - An Industry-Academia Conclave on September 30, 2022.

Experts Discuss Role Of Hydrogen In Making India Carbon Neutral	

New Delhi (The Hawk): Crude oil and many petroleum refining streams contain Sulphur-Containing Heterocyclic Aromatic Compounds (SCHAC), which are responsible for the corrosion of assets, poor fuel quality, health issues, and environmental problems. Refinery streams like petrol, diesel, jet fuel, kerosene and fuel oil therefore need to be treated for sulphur reduction before its final end-use. Conventionally, such treatment involves expensive, high-pressure hydrogen, high-temperature operations and significant capital investment, and also substantial associated net greenhouse emissions (carbon footprint) for effecting the necessary desulphurization.
To address this, a novel single-step hydrogen-free desulphurization process has been developed by CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP). Crude oil from various sources, and sulphur-containing streams from several refineries in India, have been tested; up to 90 percent of the sulphur content, depending on the specific nature of the stream being treated, can be removed by the process. The transformed sulphur compounds produced from the SCHAC components by the CSIR-IIP process are easily separable from the de-sulfurized crudes or other refinery streams via simple filtration process, and offer promise in bulk applications like road construction and coatings. 
The facile, inexpensive process offers a potentially transformative low-carbon desulfurization solution for bulk processing of petroleum streams at ambient pressures and mild temperatures. It has the potential to change the existing desulfurization configuration of crude oil and refinery streams in a cost-effective manner without the use of expensive hydrogen, especially for marine and industrial heating applications.
Key patents have been filed internationally and additional filings, including Trademark protection, are in progress. CSIR-IIP invites interested industries to partner on a non-exclusive basis for collaborative research, development, scale-up and commercial deployment of the technology.
Established in 1960, CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum is one of the 37 constituent laboratories of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, an autonomous Society headed by the Honourable Prime Minister of India. CSIR-IIP develops and offers technologies, products and services aimed at reducing India’s dependence on fossil fuel imports, in mitigating the environmental impact of the global oil and gas sector, and in efficiency enhancement, capacity building and thought leadership for low-carbon energy transition across a wide range of energy producer and energy user industries.

Crude oil and many petroleum refining streams contain Sulphur-Containing Heterocyclic Aromatic Compounds (SCHAC), which are responsible for the corrosion of assets, poor fuel quality, health issues, and environmental problems. 

CSIR-IIP Announces Its New Atmospheric-Pressure Hydrogen-Free Low-Carbon Desulphurization Process For Crude Oil & Refinery Streams  

New Delhi (The Hawk): NTPC Ltd., signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Japan and its subsidiary Mitsubishi Power India Private Limited to demonstrate the feasibility for Hydrogen co-firing blended with natural gas in MHI 701D gas turbines installed at NTPC Auraiya Gas Power Plant in Uttar Pradesh. The total installed capacity of the Auraiya Gas Power Plant is 663 MW with four gas turbines operating in combined cycle mode. The MoU was signed by both companies in the presence of Shri Ujjwal Kanti Bhattacharya, Director (Projects), NTPC Ltd., Mr Tatsuto Nagayasu, CMD, Mitsubishi Power India and Mr Hiroyuki Shinohara, Vice President, Mitsubishi Power India.
Achieving decarbonizing targets requires a concerted and wide-ranging roadmap across all energy intensive sectors. As a part of this road map, hydrogen co-firing in gas turbines can play a key role in reducing CO2 emissions. NTPC Ltd., being the largest power generator in India, intends to play a major role in energy transition and achieving the COP26 commitments. As a part of this initiative, NTPC is exploring various new hydrogen generation technologies along with hydrogen usage so as to ensure future readiness, develop the required capabilities, and technical expertise, and align with the national decarbonizing and hydrogen mission targets. Under this MoU, both companies will collaborate to carry out the study and identify key actions for introducing hydrogen co-firing at NTPC Auraiya Gas-based combined cycle power plant. The study will identify key actions for co-firing for various percentages of hydrogen e.g. 5%, 15%, 30%, 50% and 100% and the hydrogen required for the project will be supplied by NTPC.
“NTPC is committed to play a key role in India’s energy transition journey as the country marches ahead to achieve the net-zero target and climate goals. NTPC is pioneering various hydrogen-related initiatives and is carrying out R&amp;D works in this field so as to bring in a technology which can provide green, affordable, reliable and sustainable power for all. This MoU is one of the few steps taken by NTPC to meet these targets. We believe that partnering with MHI Limited which has global expertise in this technology will help us meet our objectives under the National Hydrogen Mission.” said, Shri Manish Kumar Srivastava, Executive Director, NTPC Ltd.
“The momentous event of the signing of the MOU signifies the focus of NTPC and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries towards achieving the goal of decarbonisation of the power generation sector and their commitment to addressing the pressing issue of climate change.” said Tatsuto Nagayasu, CMD, Mitsubishi Power India.

NTPC Ltd., signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Japan and its subsidiary Mitsubishi Power India Private Limited to demonstrate the feasibility for Hydrogen co-firing blended with natural gas in MHI 701D gas turbines installed at NTPC Auraiya Gas Power Plant in Uttar Pradesh.

NTPC, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries & MPI Limited Sign MoU For Demonstrating Hydrogen Co-Firing In Auraiya Gas Power Plant

New Delhi: The National Cadet Corps (NCC) Republic Day Camp, 2023 began on Monday at the Indian Army's Cariappa Parade ground here with a total of 2,155 cadets, including 710 girls, participating in the nearly one-month-long camp. The participants include 114 cadets from Jammu and Kashmir and 120 from the northeastern region.
The camp will conclude with the Prime Minister's rally on January 28. Defence Ministry officials said that cadets will participate in a number of activities, including cultural competitions, national integration awareness programmes and institutional training.
Several dignitaries including the Vice President, the Defence Minister, the Minister of State for Defence, the Delhi Chief Minister, the Chief of Defence Staff and the three services' chiefs will visit the camp.
Addressing the cadets during the launch ceremony, NCC Director General, Lt Gen Gurbirpal Singh exhorted the cadets to participate wholeheartedly in the camp and derive maximum benefit from the activities. He said that the training philosophy had been refined to incorporate the growing aspirations of the youth and the expectations of the society.
Lt Gen Singh said that the focus had been on personality development, leadership qualities and improving soft skills to make the cadets ready for the future. The camp aims to highlight the country's rich culture and traditions through important events that take place in the run-up to the Republic Day in the capital.
Besides this, it also aims at enhancing the personality skills of the cadets and strengthening their value system. —IANS

The National Cadet Corps (NCC) Republic Day Camp, 2023 began on Monday at the Indian Army's Cariappa Parade ground here with a total of 2,155 cadets, including 710 girls, participating in the nearly one-month-long camp. 

NTPC Starts India’s First Green Hydrogen Blending Operation In PNG Network

New Delhi (The Hawk): India calls for greater cooperation with France in the field of clean energy and highlighted New Delhi’s plans for green transitioning to EVs and hydrogen energy. Indian renewable sector ranks 4th on the list of the world’s most attractive renewable energy sectors and Solar energy is the most abundant source of renewable power in the country.
Inaugurating the Indo-French Workshop on Clean and Sustainable Energy Technologies (INFINITE) at CSIR – National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi, Dr. S. Chandrasekhar, Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India said that the Government in 2022 had set a target of installing 100 GW of solar energy. He added that using the Thar Desert as a site for solar power generation, India is estimated to generate up to 2,100 GW of solar energy.
Dr Chandrasekhar referred to another initiative of the Govt. of India and that is the National Biofuel Policy, which aims to achieve a 20% blending of ethanol in petrol and a 5% blending of biodiesel in diesel by 2030.
Dr Chandrasekhar pointed out that an area to focus upon is Carbon Capture and Storage and as estimated by NITI Aayog, theoretically, India has a total geological CO2 storage capacity of 400-600 Gt considering the depleted oil and gas reservoirs, un-mineable coal seams, saline aquifers, basalts, etc. He said, the government has designed policies, programs, and a liberal environment to attract foreign investments to ramp up the country in the renewable energy market at a rapid rate. Department of Science and Technology is also interested in encouraging international collaborations on clean energy research. “I hope the process and technologies that will be discussed in this workshop will be of enormous potential in mitigating the impact of climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions”, Secretary added.
In her address, Dr. N. Kalaiselvi Director General, CSIR and Secretary DSIR, said that India needs huge augmentation in the manufacturing of renewable energy technologies and infrastructures. She underlined that partnership with France and other G20 countries are required for green energy generation, storage and conversion, particularly green hydrogen, green ammonia, and energy storage infrastructures. India and France have long standing bilateral research co-operation specially to augment research on clean and renewable energies, she added.
Pr. Antoine Petit, CEO of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) expressed appreciation for the strong partnership between the two countries and emphasized the importance of collaboration in achieving a sustainable energy transition through new bilateral programs.
Prof. Arvind Kumar Mishra, Director CSIR-CIMFR pointed out that this workshop is broadly focused to bring together academic and industrial experts from France and India to develop collaborations in the area of clean and sustainable energy. He said, both the sides need to identify specific research problems and objectives, and identify partners to develop new knowledge bases, joint IPs, and tangible outcomes in biomass energy, coal to methanol/ clean fuels, solar energy, hydrogen, energy storage, and carbon capture utilization and storage. We need to share our experiences, explore new ideas, and challenge ourselves to think differently.
The objective of the workshop is to bring together experts, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders from both countries to exchange knowledge, ideas, and best practices on the development and deployment of clean and sustainable energy technologies. The workshop will feature a range of presentations and discussions on various topics related to Solar Energy, Hydrogen Energy, Carbon Capture Utilization &amp; Storage, Electrochemical Energy Storage, and Clean Fuels.
The event has been jointly organized by CSIR – Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), Dhanbad, and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), France and is being supported by the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA).
Prof. Venugopal Achanta, Director, CSIR – NPL welcomed the guests, invitees, and delegates, and Prof. Arvind K. Mishra, Director, CSIR – CIMFR made the opening remarks.
Prior to the workshop, the bilateral meeting between DG, CSIR, and the CEO of CNRS also included discussions on strengthening cooperation in the field of clean energy research and development and formulation of new R&amp;D programs between the two countries. The meeting was also graced by Directors of several CSIR Labs and other French Representatives from CEFIPRA, CNRS, CEA, and the Embassy of France in India, New Delhi.
The INFINITE workshop provides a platform for experts and stakeholders from both countries to exchange knowledge, identify areas of collaboration, and explore new avenues for cooperation in the field of clean and sustainable energy technologies. The event is expected to be successful, and it is hoped that the discussions and collaborations initiated during the workshop will lead to concrete outcomes in the near future.
The bilateral workshop is being coordinated by Dr. R. Ebhin Masto, Senior Principal Scientist, CSIR – CIMFR, India, and Dr. Abdelilah Slaoui, Deputy Research Director In-Charge of Energy, CNRS, France.

India calls for greater cooperation with France in the field of clean energy and highlighted New Delhi’s plans for green transitioning to EVs and hydrogen energy. Indian renewable sector ranks 4th on the list of the world’s most attractive renewable energy sectors and Solar energy is the most abundant source of renewable power in the country.

India Calls For Greater Cooperation With France In The Field Of Clean Energy And Highlighted New Delhi’s Plans For Green Transitioning To EVs And Hydrogen Energy

Guwahati: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed a catalyst that can release hydrogen gas from wood alcohol, with no side production of carbon dioxide. The research, published in the journal ACS Catalysis, opens up exciting avenues for the development of the hydrogen-methanol economy. Beyond being an easy and environmentally safe process, the method produces formic acid which is a useful industrial chemical. This development makes methanol a promising 'Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier' (LOHC) and contributes to the concept of hydrogen-methanol economy. As the world is moving towards finding alternatives to fossil fuels, hydrogen gas continues to be the best source of clean energy generation. Currently, hydrogen is produced either by the electrochemical splitting of water or from bio-derived chemicals such as alcohol. In the new method, hydrogen is typically produced from methyl alcohol (commonly called wood alcohol) using a catalyst, in a process called methanol reforming. There are two problems with the catalytic production of hydrogen from wood alcohol. The first is that the process involves high temperatures in the range of 300 degrees Celsius and at high pressures. Secondly, the reaction co-produces carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas. This is where the team has found a solution. "In methanol-reforming, in stark contrast to well-reported catalytic systems that act like brahmastra and result in complete destruction to carbon dioxide, the current work involves a smart strategy to design pincer (crab-like) catalysts that selectively produce high-value formic acid and clean-burning hydrogen," said Dr Akshai Kumar AS, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry at IIT Guwahati, in a statement. The team developed a special form of catalyst called the 'pincer' catalyst, which contains a central metal and a few specific organic ligands. It is called a pincer because the organic ligands are like the claws of a crab that hold the metal in place. Because of this special arrangement, the catalyst becomes very specific and selective. Thus, as wood alcohol is broken into hydrogen, formic acid is generated instead of carbon dioxide. The reaction takes place at 100 degrees Celsius, much lower than the temperatures required for conventional methanol-reforming. To make the catalyst reusable, the researchers loaded the catalyst on an inert support. By this, they could reuse the catalyst over many cycles. The novel catalytic system which produces hydrogen and formic acid from wood alcohol is a step towards achieving the Global goal of decarbonisation of the planet set for 2050, the study showed. —IANS

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed a catalyst that can release hydrogen gas from wood alcohol,

IIT Guwahati's New Method Helps Produce Sustainable Green Hydrogen Fuel

Roorkee (The Hawk): Prof. K.K. Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, inaugurated two new labs - Renewable Grid Integration Laboratory and Green Hydrogen Laboratory at the Department of Hydro and Renewable Energy. HRED has developed these labs to ensure that the Department and IIT Roorkee continue to play a major role in reliable, resilient, and Atmanirbhar transition to a clean energy grid in India. The director and Dy. Director also visited laboratories of HRED that are pursuing transformative research in all aspects of renewable energy, including hydropower, energy storage, solar energy, biomass energy, management of water bodies, and energy systems modelling. Prof Arun Kumar and Prof Sunil Singhal also showed other various labs to the Director - Prof. KK Pant and Dy. Director - Prof. UP Singh, and had discussions. Addressing the faculty and students, Prof. Pant said, "Establishment of the labs aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions and increase the use of renewable energy sources and envisages making India a global hub for green hydrogen production and export. Achieving net zero carbon goals requires decarbonization of the electric grid. Variable renewable energy will be deployed at large scale to develop resilient and renewable energy-based power systems." Prof. Mukesh Singhal, Head HRED, said that the Department is geared up and committed to carrying out research and development work in all areas of renewable energy in a sustainable manner. We already have laboratories for this purpose, and adding these two labs will strengthen the department's capabilities. Regarding the objective and capabilities of the Renewable Grid Integration Laboratory, Prof. Himanshu Jain, Faculty Incharge of the lab, said that the lab had been developed to pursue cutting-edge research in ensuring the high reliability and resilience of the renewable energy-dominated electric grid of India. It is equipped with hardware and software to pursue research in areas including stability analysis of India's grid, pumped storage hydropower, development of inverter controls, cybersecurity, and wireless charging of electric vehicles. He also mentioned that one research fellow, six PhD students, including one PMRF, and five M.Tech students are using the laboratory to pursue research in grid integration of renewable energy. Prof. Amit Bhosale, Faculty Incharge of Green Hydrogen Laboratory, highlighted the significance of the lab to envisage developments in electrochemistry, viz., fuel cells and electrolysers. The laboratory is also aligned towards catering to the goals of the prestigious National Hydrogen Mission launched by Govt. of India recently. Necessary equipment and software are also installed to research domains such as stack development, contact resistance management, and hydrogen production. Currently, the laboratory is handled by an Institute Post-Doctoral Fellow, 6 PhD students including one PMRF, 4 M.Tech. Students. The Department of Hydro and Renewable Energy (HRED) at IIT Roorkee was established in 1982 and will complete its Ruby Jubilee this year. The vision of the Department is to tap the huge renewable energy potential available in the country and build up the expertise and power generation capacity through research and development in hydropower and other renewable energy sources.

Prof. K.K. Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, inaugurated two new labs - Renewable Grid Integration Laboratory and Green Hydrogen 

Director IIT Roorkee Inaugurates Renewable Grid Integration And Green Hydrogen Laboratories At The Department Of Hydro & Renewable Energy

Sydney [Australia]: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday used "cricket diplomacy" to explain the deepening ties between India and Australia, and said, "Our ties have entered the T20 mode!"

"I am visiting Australia within 2 months of the visit of my friend Prime Minister Albanese to India. This is our sixth meeting in the last one year. This reflects the depth of our comprehensive relations, convergence in our views and maturity of our ties. In the language of cricket, our ties have entered the T20 mode," said PM Modi in a joint press briefing with Australian PM Anthony Albanese.

He also invited PM Albanese to the cricket World Cup in India, adding, '"You will get to see the grand Diwali celebration."
"I invite PM Anthony Albanese and all Australian cricket fans to India for the Cricket World Cup this year. At that time, you will also get to see the grand Diwali celebration in India," said PM Modi.

The upcoming 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, which will be hosted by India for the first time in its entirety, is likely to start on October 5 and will end on November 19, with the final scheduled to be at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which is the world's largest cricket stadium.

"In my first year as Prime Minister, I met with PM Modi six times, which underscores the value we place on deepening ties between our nations. Australia is a better place because of the contributions of the Indian-Australian community, and we want to see more connections between our countries," said the Australian PM.
<h2><span style="color: rgb(53,53,53);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 16px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji;">Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in Sydney </h2>
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in Sydney on Wednesday for bilateral discussions that deepened the friendship between the two nations.
The Australia-India relationship is already strong, but both saw the potential for growth and an opportunity for a better future.
The meeting is built on the outcomes from the Australia-India Annual Leaders' Summit in March and reinforced their commitment to an open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific.

"Our democratic values are the foundation of our ties. Our relations are based on mutual trust and respect. The Indian community in Australia is a living bridge between our countries. Last evening at the Indian community event, Prime Minister Albanese and I unveiled "Little India" of Harris Park. I could also sense the popularity of Prime Minister Albanese in the event," said PM Modi at the joint press briefing.
<h2><span style="color: rgb(53,53,53);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 16px;font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji;"> Australia-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership </h2>
<div style="text-align:left;"><img src="https://thehawk.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/Prime%20Ministers%20Meet%20in%20Sydney.webp" alt="Prime Ministers Meet in Sydney" style="height: auto;width: auto"/></div>

He said that in the meeting with PM Albanese they discussed Australia-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership taking to greater heights in the next decade.

The leaders discussed the strength of the bilateral trade, investment and business relationship and reiterated their shared ambition for an early conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement.

"We had detailed discussions on the scope of cooperation in new areas. Last year, the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement came into effect. Today, we have decided to focus on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement. This will further strengthen our economic partnership and open up new avenues for cooperation," said PM Modi.

Further reinforcing the economic and people-to-people ties between our two countries, the leaders announced the finalization of the Australia-India Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement, which will promote the two-way mobility of students, graduates, academic researchers and business people, while also enhancing cooperation to prevent irregular migration and people smuggling.

"Today, we signed the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement. This will further strengthen our living bridge. As I announced yesterday, for a continued deepening relationship, we will soon open a new Indian Consulate in Brisbane, just as Australia has announced opening a new Consulate in Bengaluru," said PM Modi.

The Prime Ministers welcomed progress towards establishing an Australia-India Green Hydrogen Taskforce and today announced the Terms of Reference for the Australia-India Green Hydrogen Taskforce have been agreed.

"We had constructive discussions on strengthening our strategic cooperation in the sectors of mining and critical minerals. We identified concrete areas for cooperation in the renewable energy sector. We decided to set up a task force on Green Hydrogen. Yesterday, I had useful discussions with Australian CEOs on investments in different areas and in Business Roundtable today, I will discuss cooperation in trade, investment and technology," said PM Modi.

He said that India is looking forward to greater Australian investment in India, adding, "India will soon become the third-largest economy in the world. We are creating a favourable ecosystem for attracting more investment in India, in fields such as electronics, defence and other sectors, and I think that there is huge potential for further cooperation between India and Australia, between our private sectors. The CEO forum organised during your visit recently to India was also a very positive development."

He said that the scope of India-Australia ties is not limited to merely our two countries, it is also linked to regional stability, peace and global welfare.

"A few days ago in Quad Summit in Hiroshima with Prime Minister Albanese we discussed Indo-Pacific issues," said PM Modi.
He said that India-Australia cooperation can be beneficial for the growth of Global South.

"The Indian tradition of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' that views the entire world as one family is the central theme of India's G20 presidency. I thank PM Albanese from the bottom of my heart for Australia's cooperation for our G20 initiatives," said PM Modi.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced that the new Centre for Australia-India Relations will be headquartered in Parramatta. The Centre began operations this month and will drive deeper engagement with India through business, policy and cultural activities and work with Indian diaspora communities. The Centre will be led by Chair Swati Dave and CEO Tim Thomas.

The leaders also welcomed the City of Perth and the Western Australian Government's decision to rename a road along Perth's Swan River in recognition of Private Nain Singh Sailani, one of 12 known ANZACs from the Indian community who fought in the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War.
<h2>Prime Minister Modi's visit to Australia has strengthened the strong relationship that Australia</h2>
<div style="text-align:left;"><img src="https://thehawk.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/Prime%20Minister%20Modi%27s%20visit%20to%20Australia.webp" alt="Prime Minister Modi's visit to Australia" style="height: auto;width: auto"/></div>

"Prime Minister Modi's visit to Australia has strengthened the close and strong relationship that Australia enjoys with India. This is a relationship we need to invest in. Our strong partnership with India will deliver benefits for Australia in trade, investment and business, and in regional security and stability," said Albanese. ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday used "cricket diplomacy" to explain the deepening ties between India and Australia, and said, "Our ties have entered the T20 mode!"

"Our ties have entered T20 mode!" PM Modi on deepening relations with Australia

New Delhi (The Hawk): Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has urged that finding and using cost-effective fuels, that are also economically viable, is imperative to reduce pollution caused by vehicles. The Union Road Transport and Highways Minister inaugurated 'Green Hydrogen Conclave' in Mumbai, today.
The Union Minister pointed out that alternative fuels like bio-CNG and green hydrogen not only help in reducing pollution, but also save a lot in fuel cost. India's potential for green hydrogen is 5 million metric tonnes per year, he informed. He said that it is the responsibility of all the stakeholders to make these fuels available to the people at cost-effective rates and create awareness among common citizens about the necessity of using these fuels. He said that green hydrogen will not be useful if its cost is high and urged stakeholders to focus on keeping the rates low. In this connection, he said that the Government has taken the initiative to create wealth out of waste that is generated in our lives.
Niti Gadkari stated that the country is facing two big challenges now, one of which is related to import of fossil fuels amounting to lakhs of crores of rupees which, therefore, poses a big economic challenge to the country. The other challenge is related to curbing pollution. We are facing a very serious problem of air pollution, particularly in the metro cities, he added. These are matters of concern, he reiterated. He also said that not only in India, everywhere in the world people are speak about decarbonization, which is important as far as climate change is concerned.&nbsp;
The Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the vision of a self-reliant India and a five trillion-dollar economy will be realized as soon as possible if there is more and more production of cost-effective, pollution-free, and environment-friendly indigenous products that provide alternatives to imports and lessens all sort of pollutions in the country. "Our dream is to make India an exporter of energy", he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister also said that, while we are working very fast on thermal power, hydro power and wind power, we also have to look at nuclear power, which is a zero-emission clean energy source. Agriculture and energy sectors are the need of the hour, he added. The Union Minister also urged that by linking agriculture with proven technology and power sector, many jobs can be created.
The dignitaries present on the occasion included Ravindra Boratkar, President, Maharashtra Economic Development Council; Erik Solhiem, Green politician; Arne Jan Flolo, Consul General, Royal Norwegian Consulate General in Mumbai; Achim Fabig, Consul General, Germany; Dr. Yasukata Fukahari, Consul General, Japan; Manish Panchal, Event Chair, GH2 Conclave; and Shardul Kulkarni, Knowledge Chair, GH2 Conclave. Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy supported the event.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has urged that finding and using cost-effective fuels

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Inaugurates 'Green Hydrogen Conclave' In Mumbai

New Delhi (The Hawk): “Considering abundance of coal availability in the country, it’s time to act on the diversified use of coal to ensure energy security of the country to support Government’s decarbonising mission”, stated Shri Amrit Lal Meena, Secretary, Ministry of Coal while delivering the key note address on “Blue Hydrogen-Energy Security and Hydrogen Economy” organised by the Ministry here today. The Secretary said that the session must deliberate on the technologies available for coal to hydrogen, cost competitiveness, global experience and the way forward strategy. He further mentioned that the recommendations of the committee constituted by the Ministry of Coal to identify actionable points for coal sector to support Green Hydrogen Mission should be deliberated and action plan finalised. Shri Meena also advised to constitute an Advisory Committee in the Ministry with all experts to deliberate on the subject in a regular manner to promote gasification. In his welcome address, Shri M. Nagaraju, Additional secretary, Ministry of Coal outlined the policy initiatives taken by the Ministry to promote coal gasification to meet the energy demands of the country in a sustainable way. Shri Debasish Nanda, Director BD CIL and Chairman of the committee presented the committee report on the Green Hydrogen Mission offering comprehensive analysis of the current status, challenges and future prospects of green hydrogen production in the country. Presentations were also made by Prof R R Sonde, IIT Delhi, Dr. Ranjit Rath CMD, Oil India Limited; Prof Arnab Dutta, IIT Bombay; Naveen Ahlawat, Head (CCUS) JSPL; Sh. Varun Jindal, MD Dev Energy and Shri Prasad Chaphekar Dy. Sec MNRE. Shri Rajnath Ram Adviser, NITI Aayog also expressed his views on development of clean coal technologies. Panel discussion was also chaired by Shri Debasish Nanda and coordinated by Shri Peeyush Kumar, OSD, Ministry of Coal. During the presentations and discussions, many new ideas came up for way ahead strategy. The session was dedicated to discussing the potential of hydrogen in decarbonizing steel making processes and shared views on innovative approaches and technologies to reduce carbon emissions in the steel industry contributing to a greener and more sustainable future. The discussion was also on exploring the potential applications of hydrogen in scaling Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) projects. The program was attended by officials of NITI Aayog, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Fertiliser, Ministry of Steel, Ministry of Heavy Industries, IICT Hyderabad, CSIR besides officials from CIL, CMPDI, WCL, SECL, MCL, EIL, PDIL, BHEL, SCCL, NLCIL, SAIL, RIL, TATA STEEL, JSPL, Dev Energy, CGAI, CAPSEC and PSU watch. Discussion pertaining to development of Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) technology, which plays a crucial role in mitigating carbon emissions also held and emphasized the importance of sustainable practices. The half-day session witnessed fruitful exchanges of ideas and knowledge on future uses of Hydrogen. The Ministry of Coal remains committed to promoting clean and sustainable energy solutions and will continue to facilitate such discussions to drive the nation's progress toward a hydrogen-based economy.&nbsp;

 “Considering abundance of coal availability in the country, it’s time to act on the diversified use of coal to ensure energy

Coal Ministry Organizes Seminar On 'Blue Hydrogen-Energy Security & Hydrogen Economy'

New Delhi: India will soon overtake China as the largest driver of global oil demand even as it has an opportunity to become a world leader in green hydrogen production, International Energy Agency (IEA) chief Fatih Birol said Wednesday. A swelling population, which has likely already surpassed that of China, is driving demand in the world's third-largest energy-consuming nation. Its transition from fossil fuels to cleaner sources is expected to lag other regions, but cheap electricity produced from renewable energy sources like solar energy can help transform the nation into a green hydrogen leader. "India's oil demand will grow. I think India will soon takeover from China as the largest driver of global oil demand growth," Birol told PTI on the sidelines of a G20 event here. This is primarily because China has seen faster adoption of electric vehicles, leading to a drop in petrol and diesel consumption. "One of the factors for the weakening of oil demand in China is rapid electrification of cars and buses," he said. He hoped that demand in India will go down as electrification (vehicles run on batteries charged by electricity) picks up. EV sales in China nearly doubled to 6.1 million units in 2022 compared to 48,000 vehicles in India in the same period. Earlier, speaking at the event, Birol said he had six years back stated that India is set to move to the centre stage of global energy affairs. "After 6 years today, I can tell you that India is at the centre of global energy affairs today." This is not just on the strength of its huge demand but also the rapid strides it has made in generating electricity from renewable sources like solar and using biofuels like ethanol produced from sugarcane, foodgrains and agri waste to replace fossil fuels. Mixing 10 per cent ethanol in petrol helped the country avoid USD 2 billion equivalent of oil imports he said. "In last 5 years, India was the largest contributor to the global solar capacity," he said, adding it has provided 500 million people access to electricity and given cooking gas to nearly 100 million to eliminate household pollution caused by using wood and others for cooking. And the same can be done with hydrogen - the cleanest known form of energy. He said India can use the cheap electricity it produces from renewable sources to split water to produce green hydrogen. It can emerge as the lowest green hydrogen producer. "India in my view cannot afford to miss the historical opportunity to be leader, to be a superpower in green hydrogen," he said. Commenting on Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri's statement that India has the potential to become net zero in carbon emission before the 2070 target date, Birol said the country was doing "an excellent job" on the clean energy front. "When Minister Puri said India may reach net zero before 2070, it is very good news for India and the rest of the world," he said. "In my view, rich countries should reach their net zero targets well before (the current deadline of) 2050 and therefore, leave enough room for emerging countries to reach their net zero later on so the world as a whole reach net zero by 2050." Speaking on the global energy scenario, he said last year, of all the power plants built in the world, 80 per cent were based on renewable sources of energy and the remaining 20 per cent on fossil fuels. Within renewable, solar is definitely the main chunk, he said. "For the first time, the amount of global investment going into solar is higher than the amount of investment going into oil production. In my view, solar is the queen of the global energy system now". Also, electric cars have seen exponential growth - from being one out of 25 cars sold in the world two years back to being one out of every 5 cars sold in the world this year, he said. "Looking at the data and investment already locked in, a new clean energy economy is emerging. It doesn't mean we will stop using oil and gas. We will use oil and gas for years to come," he said. Out of the total USD 2.7 trillion investment in energy this year, USD 1 trillion is for fossil fuel and USD 1.7 trillion in clean energy sources, he said, adding since 2015, investment in clean energy has increased year after year. But the "growth in clean energy investment comes from advanced economies and China. Only a small portion is taking place in emerging markets, where it is needed the most," he said, emphasising the need for advanced economies, multilateral agencies and financial institutions to support clean energy investment in emerging nations. In its latest energy outlook, the Paris-based agency said about three quarters of the 2022-28 demand growth increase will come from Asia, with India surpassing China as the main source of growth by 2027. —PTI

India will soon overtake China as the largest driver of global oil demand even as it has an opportunity to become a world leader

India To Soon Overtake China As Oil Demand Driver; Can Be Leader In Green Hydrogen: IEA Chief

New Delhi (The Hawk): The Government of India is organizing an International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH-2023) during 5th – 7th July 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, to bring together the global scientific and industrial community to discuss recent advances and emerging technologies in the entire green hydrogen value chain. The conference will enable the sector stakeholders to explore the evolving green hydrogen landscape and innovation-driven solutions in the sector. The conference is being organized by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, in partnership with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Office of Principal Scientific Advisor to Government of India. The fundamental aim of the Conference is to explore how we can establish a Green Hydrogen ecosystem and foster a systemic approach for meeting the global goals for decarbonization through Green Hydrogen. Apart from domain-specific research interactions on hydrogen production, storage, distribution and downstream applications, the conference will also discuss green financing, human resource upskilling and startup initiatives in this area. The conference will enable to share and learn from international best practices in the sector. 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. Various plenary talks, expert panel discussions and technical deliberations held at the conference will provide domestic and international participants from the industry and research communities an opportunity to dive deep into these national and global priorities, in line with the objectives embedded in India’s of National Green Hydrogen Mission, a mission launched by the Government of India to help achieve India’s target of Net Zero by the year 2070. Addressing a curtain raiser press conference on the international conference, the Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Bhupinder Singh Bhalla said that outreach and industry partnership are integral parts of the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The Secretary underlined the role of industry in various steps of the value chain, such as production, distribution and storage. He said that the conference seeks to bring the best brains together to explore solutions towards developing and strengthening the national green hydrogen ecosystem. “Technology Adoption is Crucial for Ramping up Electrolyzer Production Capacity” The Secretary said that the conference is the first major event on green hydrogen. He said that the green hydrogen ecosystem is important in order to attain the basic production target of National Green Hydrogen Mission, of producing 5 MMT of green hydrogen per annum by the year 2030. “Electrolyzer production capacity in the world is very limited, this capacity has to come up in India. And for this, it is important that we learn and adopt the appropriate technology for electrolyzer manufacturing as well as for various individual components of the manufacturing process. Through this process, we are creating a platform where experts can talk about various steps of the value chain, so that we can learn from others; this would comprise not only production, but also marketing and collaborations. Our focus is on the entire value chain which is important for the success of the National Green Hydrogen Mission.” Responding to a media query, Shri Bhalla said that at last count, about 48 projects on green hydrogen / green ammonia have been publicly announced in India. “A lot of them are talking about green ammonia, which totals to production of around 3.5 million metric tonnes per annum of green hydrogen. There is a lot of traction from the industry, as far as green hydrogen opportunity is concerned.” The Conference will also guide us in determining the focus areas for R&amp;D and on the standards and regulations needed, said the Secretary. Shri Bhalla said that a Working Group on Standards for Green Hydrogen Manufacturing has already submitted a report comprising around 100 recommendations, to Bureau of Indian Standards and other standards-related organizations. “Government is working on Definition of Green Hydrogen, Global Standard Needed” Shri Bhalla said that the government is working on a definition for green hydrogen and expressed the hope that the conference helps to also evolve some global standards for green hydrogen. He added that there is no standard definition for green hydrogen, with different countries and private organizations coming up with multiple definitions. “It is an evolving field, so every country is learning, so India is going to come up with a definition based on what we believe should be green hydrogen and eventually, we should be having a global standard on the definition of green hydrogen. This should have clear starting and ending points, so that we can effectively evaluate our energy transition and adoption of green hydrogen.” 25 Sessions, 1,500 Plus International and Indian Delegates The three-day international conference will no less than 25 deep-dive sessions aimed at establishing a green hydrogen ecosystem, with expected participation of more than 1,500 delegates from India and abroad. Delegates will also get to hear regional perspectives on green hydrogen, by the Americas, Australia, Africa, Europe and of course, India. The conference will also have demos, prototypes by PSUs, private companies and startups, as well as B2B and B2G meetings. The opening day of the conference will have sessions on Hydrogen Production- Electrolysis and Bio-Pathways; Hydrogen Storage, Distribution and Refuelling; Hydrogen Energy Ecosystems &amp; Assessment; Fuel Cells &amp; Electrolyzers: Key materials&amp; components; Hydrogen Production – Thermochemical Nuclear / Other; Hydrogen in Mobility; Integrated Hydrogen Systems; Hydrogen in Industries; and a panel Discussion on Disruptive Science and Technology. Day 2, i.e., July 6, will have two plenary lectures, one presenting a Japanese and another an Australian perspective on the role of green hydrogen. The technical sessions for the day would be on Pipeline Infra, and Compatibility; Hydrogen Economy - Logistics and Infrastructure; Codes, Standards and Regulations; Hydrogen Valleys/ Hubs / Clusters; Start-ups in Hydrogen; Hydrogen Strategies and Polices; Green Financing; Strengthening R&amp;D Ecosystem. The day will close with a Panel Discussion on Carbon Emissions associated with Green Hydrogen Production. The third and final day of the international conference will feature a plenary lecture presenting a European perspective and a panel discussion among key industry stakeholders. The conference will conclude with the valedictory session. Incentive Schemes for Electrolyzer Manufacturing and Green Hydrogen in the Works Speaking on demand creation, the Secretary said that the government is working with respective Ministries to promote green hydrogen. “The Ministry is also working on provision of incentives for electrolyzer manufacturing and for production of green hydrogen. As regards production of green hydrogen, incentives will be awarded based on setting up of green hydrogen plants; in a second model, incentives will be provided for consumption, based on a Demand Aggregation Model.” The New &amp; Renewable Energy Secretary said that the draft of the incentive scheme for electrolyzer manufacturing and part of the incentive scheme for production of green hydrogen have been finalized and will be rolled out soon. He said that the total incentives being offered under the Mission is more than Rs. 17,000 crores until the year 2030, which will be rolled out in tranches, so that the government will learn from the first tranche and evolve the second one. On the question of funding for green hydrogen, the Secretary recalled that there is a need for Rs. 8 lakh crores of investment under National Green Hydrogen Mission and said that the government is talking with banking and financial system, private sector and other stakeholders for financing of green hydrogen. He said that the government would be handholding industry in order to attract funding for the sector. Green Hydrogen Hubs on the Anvil  The Secretary said that the government is working with states on development of green hydrogen hubs. Explaining the concept, the Secretary said: “A Green Hydrogen Hub is an area where production and consumption occur in close proximity. If a particular green hydrogen production capacity is purely export-oriented, they would be largely near the ports and this is a call which the private sector is going to take. We are working with the Ministry of Shipping in order to explore setting up of green hydrogen hubs at major ports. Hubs will be selected for infrastructure support from the government based on parameters identified under the policy to be rolled out, but hubs in addition to what the government supports can also come up, based on initiatives by the industry.” National Green Hydrogen Mission The National Green Hydrogen Mission was launched by the Government of India on 4th January 2023, as part of its decarbonization strategy. The Mission places significant emphasis on R&amp;D in green hydrogen and aims to make India a global hub of Green Hydrogen production, utilization, and export. The Mission will kickstart major interventions in policies and technology to develop a robust Green Hydrogen ecosystem in the country. It seeks to do this by creating demand, strengthening the supply side, and focusing on policy and regulatory frameworks, innovation and affordability. The Mission will encourage private investment in the sector and enable rapid scale-up, technology development, establish standards &amp; regulatory framework and enable rapid cost reduction. R&amp;D in green hydrogen not only fosters sustainable energy solutions but also opens opportunities for job creation and economic growth in India's clean energy sector. By prioritizing R&amp;D, India is poised to become a global leader in green hydrogen technology, paving the way for a cleaner and greener future.

The Government of India is organizing an International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH-2023) during 5th – 7th July 2023

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