India to boost green hydrogen sector with new testing and quality assurance facilities, ET EnergyWorld

New Delhi: The Central government has issued fresh guidelines for funding of test facilities, infrastructure and institutional support under the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), emphasising on improving quality and testing ecosystem in the emerging green hydrogen sector.

The newly approved programme, with a financial commitment of Rs 200 crore for the period 2024-26, aims to identify and plug gaps in existing testing infrastructure and support the development of new facilities that meet the stringent standards required for green hydrogen and its derivatives.

“The program emphasizes the development of a robust quality and testing ecosystem that is compliant with national and international standards,” said a document issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). It outlines goals for establishing and modernizing testing facilities across the country, ensuring safe, efficient and secure operation of Green Hydrogen technologies.

As per the guidelines, the National Institute for Solar Energy (NISE) will act as the Scheme Implementation Agency (SIA), responsible for overseeing the application and implementation processes. The SIA will issue Calls for Proposals (CfP) to identify projects for the establishment and improvement of test facilities.

“The financial support for these initiatives will be distributed in three phases: 20 percent upon selection, 70 percent upon achievement of certain milestones and the final 10 percent upon completion of the project,” the MNRE specified. In addition, rigorous monitoring and evaluation by the Project Appraisal Committee will ensure that the projects are aligned with the mission objectives.

Any projects that fail to meet their deadlines or targets will risk having their funding cancelled under strict regulatory measures put in place by the government.

“This strategic investment in testing infrastructure underscores our commitment to developing India’s green hydrogen potential. Our goal is to make the country a leader in this key sector of the future,” the release concluded.