Director-Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technologies Office and DOE Hydrogen Program Coordinator at the US Department of Energy, Dr Sunita Satyapal, has said that while every country sets its own goals of what carbon intensity should be, work on mutually recognised certification schemes should be the next step with so many countries partnering on Hydrogen.

Terming the determination of a common methodology of how to calculate carbon intensity as one of the highest priorities, she said that this could lead to harmonisation of standards. While pointing to the American method of including upstream emissions to calculate carbon intensity, she added that it was best for each country to decide its own strategy on inclusion of Blue Hydrogen, nuclear power and renewables in the calculation.

She further appreciated India's National Green Hydrogen Mission saying that with a comprehensive portfolio the US is looking at Hydrogen from diverse domestic resources. Describing the recently launched National Green Hydrogen strategy of the United States, she told CNBC-TV18 that the strategy includes Hydrogen in heavy duty transportation, super truck programs, Hydrogen fuel cell trucks as well as IC engines, where the focus is on low Nox emissions to help in infrastructure and build synergies.

Even as the US is prioritising fuel cells for high efficiency and zero emissions, it has launched a consortium of its national labs, universities and the industry. The aim is to reduce costs and the amount of catalysts, apart from the focus on more research on membranes and durability.

Lauding the H2 rescue trucks which provide power for up to 3 days at disaster sites, Satyapal said that the department has specific targets and through its collaborative work with the US Department of Defence, the costs are not much of an issue for specific cases of disaster mitigation.

However, for long term market competitiveness, she called for the need to reduce fuel cell costs as she termed collaborations and supply chains as critical to the goal.

Refusing to comment on the strategy or need for viability gap funding for renewable energy projects in India, she said that the US already produces 10 MMT Gray Hydrogen from natural gas as it has low cost natural gas available.

She explained that the US needs subsidies for clean Hydrogen, and the $3 subsidy helps it not just get low-cost clean Hydrogen with lowest carbon intensity for its domestic market but also allows it to meet its climate goals.

Pointing to the significant funding and focus on producing clean Hydrogen in India's strategy, she said that each country's strategy will evolve depending on its own market, current cost of renewables, natural gas and framework of subsidy versus other demand opportunities.

Also Read:Green hydrogen will be the future fuel in India, says RK Singh

(Edited by : Sangam Singh)

First Published:Jul 5, 2023 6:35 PM IST