The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has approved the release of ₹679.5 million (~$7.8 million) as the first tranche of central financial assistance (CFA) to four Hydrogen Valley Innovation Clusters (HVICs) under the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM).

A hydrogen valley is a specific geographical region where hydrogen is utilized for multiple applications across various sectors, including industry, energy, and mobility.

These clusters are designated areas where the use of hydrogen technology is promoted to drive the adoption of hydrogen as a clean and sustainable energy source.

The clusters and their respective first tranche allocations are as follows:

• CSIR-NCL, Pune: ₹170.3 million (~$2 million)
• IIT Bhubaneswar: ₹149.6 million (~$1.7 million)
• ANERT, Kerala: ₹213.6 million (~$2.4 million)
• IIT Jodhpur: ₹146 million (~$1.6 million)

The total cost for all four projects amounts to ₹4.85 billion (~$56 million), with the industry/lead institution contributing ₹3.15 billion (~$36 million).

The MNRE’s approval follows the release of guidelines for setting up HVICs and green hydrogen hubs in India.

According to the guidelines, the Department of Science and Technology is responsible for issuing the letter of award and approval once MNRE provides administrative clearance.

The CFA will be disbursed to the company set up by each HVIC as per the recommendations of the Project Appraisal Committee.

In July 2023, MNRE unveiled the ₹4 billion (~$48.12 million) research and development (R&D) Roadmap for the National Green Hydrogen Mission, aiming to develop an ecosystem that facilitates the commercialization of green hydrogen.

In 2023, the Department of Science and Technology invited bids to establish HVICs in the country.

Recently, MNRE issued the second call for R&D proposals under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The R&D program aims to accelerate the development of indigenous and cost-effective green hydrogen technologies across the production, storage, transportation, and utilization segments.