A European non-profit focused on aggregating demand for green hydrogen and facilitating project financing through government grants has stepped in to address a major challenge faced by Indian green hydrogen producers: securing long-term buyers.
Experts and industry leaders note that while India’s green hydrogen sector has made significant strides in technology and investment, the absence of long-term purchase agreements is impeding further development.
The uncertainty in hydrogen pricing due to the nascent stage of the technology has made buyers hesitant to commit to long-term contracts. Conversely, producers are reluctant to invest heavily in production capacity without guaranteed offtake agreements.
To address this issue, representatives from Hintco, a subsidiary of the European non-profit H2Global, met with Indian government officials. Hintco has proposed a potential solution involving a collaborative agreement between the Indian government and a foreign counterpart to secure a stable supply-demand framework for green hydrogen.
Hintco would act as an intermediary, arranging long-term offtake agreements with Indian producers like Reliance Industries and Adani Group, while negotiating short-term supply deals with European buyers. Prices would be determined through bilateral auctions, with any profitability gaps between buyers and sellers potentially covered by the involved governments.
Timo Bollerhey, CEO of Hintco and Co-founder of H2Global said, “The concept is for the Indian government to partner with another nation to pool resources and address the cost disparity that currently exists”.
Hintco is already testing this model in Canada, where green hydrogen will be supplied to Germany. Green ammonia and green hydrogen are terms for gases produced using renewable energy, in contrast to grey gases, which are generated from conventional, emission-intensive sources. Despite being chemically identical, the distinction lies in their production methods.
Government has set an ambitious target that by 2030, at least 40% of the country’s hydrogen consumption should be met with green hydrogen, positioning India as a global leader in the production, use, and export of this clean fuel and its derivatives.
As reported by solondais.fr, the ministry of renewable energy is spearheading the initiative through the national green hydrogen mission, with a budget allocation of ₹19,744 crore.
