At the 14th IAA-India-Day in Hanover, Dr. Klaus Bonhoff, Director General, Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV), said there’s much potential for Indo-German partnership in green hydrogen.
26 Sep 2022 | 6970 Views | By Ajit Dalvi
When it comes to alternative fuels, the automotive industry worldwide is now seeing a surge of serious interest in using hydrogen as a fuel, and also in fuel cells. Hydrogen is a truly clean fuel, considering that a hydrogen-powered vehicle converts hydrogen into electricity via the fuel cells and the only ‘waste’ it produces is water vapour.
It also helps that hydrogen, being twice as efficient as petrol, offers better fuel efficiency and in turn range. And recharging a hydrogen vehicle is faster than an electric vehicle. At present though, use of hydrogen as a fuel has its challenges in terms of infrastructure and higher cost, among other things, but the gains to be had are many.
That’s reason enough why India and many developed countries, including Germany – which has made great strides in the generation, transportation and use of hydrogen, especially in the mobility sector – are taking a close look at hydrogen as the eco-friendly fuel of the future.
In India, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has been supporting a broad-based research development and demonstration (R&D) programme on hydrogen energy and fuel. On August 15, 2021, the Prime Minister of India announced the launch of the National Hydrogen Mission (NHM) with an aim to cut carbon emissions and increase the use of renewable sources of energy. NHM aims to cut down carbon emissions and increase the use of renewable sources of energy while aligning India’s efforts with global best practices in technology, policy, and regulation.
Germany: a leader in hydrogen power
Among European countries, Germany has the most ambitious hydrogen production target – 5 GW by 2030, with an additional 5 GW to be built between 2035-2040. It is one of the leading markets for exports and a leader in green hydrogen technology. IAA Transportation 2022, the world’s largest trade fair for commercial vehicles held last week in Hanover, witnessed the latest innovations in hydrogen vehicles and componentry being unveiled.
The global event also saw the 14th IAA-India-Day being held. Organised by VDA (German Association of the Automotive Industry, ACMA, SIAM and IGCC (Indo-German Chamber of Commerce), the IAA-India-Day builds upon the work the done by the Indo-German Working Group on Automotive.
The 14th IAA India Day, an industry platform and an expression of the close partnership between India and Germany, saw SIAM president Vinod Aggarwal and ACMA president Sunjay Kapur make detailed presentations on the India growth story and also on the drive towards alternate fuels including hydrogen.
Dr Klaus Bonhoff: “We see much potential for India and Germany to cooperate in green hydrogen”
In a video message at IAA-India Day, Dr. Klaus Bonhoff, Director General, Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV), said: “We welcome the deepening of strategic cooperations through the launch of the India-EU Trade & Technology Council. One of the areas identified in consultations where we will work hard on deliverables is green mobility. Green mobility alone encompasses a wide range of applications with alternative fuels and drivetrains including hydrogen-powered vehicles.”
Dr Bonhoff continued, “I am, therefore, delighted to refer to the final statement of the consultation in which we agreed to develop an Indo-German Green Hydrogen Roadmap based on the inputs of the Indo-German task force. The future cooperation between Germany and India will focus on promoting public and private investments in the production, transport and consumption of green hydrogen and its derivatives.”
He added, “The Indo-German Green Hydrogen task force also intends to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience in the areas of regulation, standards and safety procedures, and sustainability criteria for green hydrogen. We see much potential for India and Germany to cooperate in the area of green hydrogen. India has good conditions for the generation of green renewable electricity and the Indian government has announced the ambition to become a global hub for green hydrogen, and a major exporter of green hydrogen. Germany offers a great product range including electrolysers and leading solutions along the entire hydrogen value chain.”
Dr Bonhoff concluded his message by saying, “The Indo-German Working Group on Automotive is a well-established exchange format, functioning as a meeting point for high-level representatives from the sector and is a space to share best practices for common challenges. In both countries, the automotive sector provides a significant number of jobs. It provides opportunities for new businesses and models and for technological breakthroughs but first and foremost it provides everyday mobility. And although these sectors in our countries are different to a certain extent, many of the challenges we are facing are similar. They include technological changes and innovations, national and international regulations as well as diminishing resources and last, but not the least, questions of environmental protection and climate change. This leads to an international dynamic from which we people working in transport, specifically in the automotive sector, can benefit. It is our common goal to achieve these targets while ensuring that the automotive sector continues to drive innovation.”
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