The European Union and India have set ambitious programmes and targets for a wider adoption of green hydrogen. While India announced its National Hydrogen Mission last year, the EU launched the European Hydrogen Strategy in 2020. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has further accelerated the implementation of EU Green Deal policies, including on hydrogen. The targets set by the Hydrogen Strategy have been further raised by the REPowerEU plan: the EU is now targeting the production of 1 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by 2024, and 20 million tonnes of hydrogen by 2030. 
 
The First EU India Hydrogen Forum was inaugurated by the European Commissioner for Energy Ms. Kadri Simson together with H.E. Mr R.K. Singh, Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy, Government of India. During her address Commissioner Simson reiterated that international cooperation is a key part of EU’s hydrogen policy and India is a major partner in this respect. She highlighted during her inaugural speech that additional focus on hydrogen in EU-India clean energy cooperation will go well together with the EU’s strong focus to support the massive deployment of Renewable Energy in India for direct electrification, for energy access and to meet the increasing demand for electricity in a clean and sustainable way. The Commissioner also expressed interest to explore together with financing partners the possibility to build a pipeline of hydrogen projects in India, leveraging private sector investments in innovative technologies under the framework of EU Global Gateway initiative.

The event was organised jointly by the Delegation of the European Union and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, in close cooperation with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Hydrogen Europe on 8th Sep at The Leela Palace Hotel, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, India. The Forum served as a platform to exchange best practices, policy frameworks and production and application technologies for renewable hydrogen as well as opportunities for EU-India cooperation in this area. The forum also delved into the potential for international hydrogen trade, the role of international standards, including sustainable transportation, the legal requirements for the certification of renewable hydrogen and research and innovation. The event brought together EU-India businesses to discuss potential joint projects on hydrogen.

Source:CECP EU