India’s Hydrogen Energy Future: Insights from Minister Hardeep Singh Puri
In Greater Noida, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, shared exciting news about India’s future in hydrogen energy. Speaking at the 6th South Asian Geoscience Conference and Exhibition, he highlighted India’s plans to lead in hydrogen production and exports. Projects like hydrogen blending in natural gas pipelines and localizing electrolyzer technologies are key steps towards this goal.
Minister Puri emphasized that India is on track to become a hub for green hydrogen, which is seen as the fuel of the future. With energy demand rising, India’s daily consumption is expected to grow from 5.4 million barrels to 7 million barrels by 2030. He noted that 67 million people visit petrol stations daily, a number equal to the populations of the UK, France, and Italy combined.
India’s fuel demand growth is three times the global average, and 25% of the global energy demand increase over the next two decades is expected to come from India. Puri assured that India is balancing availability, affordability, and sustainability in energy, with strong exploration and production efforts.
Despite being the third-largest consumer of crude oil, India’s exploration sector remains largely untapped. The country has significant recoverable reserves of crude oil and natural gas that need exploration. Currently, 10% of sedimentary basins are explored, with plans to increase this to 16% by 2025 under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy.
Minister Puri aims to expand India’s exploration area to 1 million square kilometers by 2030. The upcoming GEO India 2024 event is expected to attract 2,000 participants, featuring numerous sessions and exhibitions. Puri expressed confidence in geoscientists to drive an energy revolution in India, ensuring energy security for all.
Doubts Revealed
Hydrogen Energy -: Hydrogen energy is a clean type of energy that uses hydrogen gas to produce electricity. It is considered environmentally friendly because it only produces water as a byproduct, unlike fossil fuels that produce pollution.
Hardeep Singh Puri -: Hardeep Singh Puri is an Indian politician and the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas. He is responsible for overseeing India’s energy policies and initiatives.
South Asian Geoscience Conference -: The South Asian Geoscience Conference is a meeting where experts from South Asia discuss topics related to earth sciences, like energy resources and environmental issues.
Green Hydrogen -: Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced using renewable energy sources, like wind or solar power, making it very eco-friendly. It is called ‘green’ because it does not produce harmful emissions.
Hydrogen Blending -: Hydrogen blending involves mixing hydrogen with natural gas to reduce carbon emissions. This helps in making energy production cleaner and more sustainable.
Electrolyzer Technology -: Electrolyzer technology is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity. This process is key to producing green hydrogen.
Exploration Acreage -: Exploration acreage refers to the land area where companies can search for natural resources like oil and gas. Expanding this means allowing more land to be explored for these resources.
