Why in the News?
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has launched Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme (GHCS) under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.
About Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme (GHCS):
- GHCS aims to certify that hydrogen produced in India meets the criteria to be labelled as “green hydrogen”, based on verified emissions data.
- The scheme enhances transparency, credibility, and traceability in hydrogen production and supports India’s goal of becoming a global hub for green hydrogen exports.
- The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is the nodal agency responsible for the implementation of this scheme.
- Certification under GHCS also helps producers access carbon credits under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), subject to additional requirements.
- The scheme covers hydrogen produced using electrolysis with renewable energy or biomass conversion.
Key Features of GHCS:
- Hydrogen will be certified as “green” if its non-biogenic greenhouse gas emissions are ≤ 2 kg CO₂ equivalent per kg of hydrogen, averaged over 12 months.
- The certification process includes four stages:
- Concept Certificate (project design stage)
- Facility-Level Certificate (infrastructure readiness)
- Provisional Certificate (early production data)
- Final Certificate (verified emissions based on actual production)
- Only the Final Certificate is mandatory for producers seeking government incentives or selling hydrogen in the domestic market.
- Producers must appoint Accredited Carbon Verification (ACV) agencies for independent verification, recognized by the BEE.
- The scheme is aligned with international standards like ISO 19870:2023, ensuring global credibility.
- Certificates are issued in multiples of 100 kg of hydrogen, containing details on emission intensity and production sources.
| [UPSC 2023] With reference to green hydrogen, consider the following statements:
1. It can be used directly as a fuel for internal combustion. 2. It can be blended with natural gas and used as fuel for heat or power generation . 3. It can be used in the hydrogen fuel cell to run vehicles. How may of the above statements are correct? Options: (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three * (d) None |
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
