ReNew has suggested an ethanol-like blending approach for green hydrogen, arguing that creating assured domestic demand will be critical to scaling up the sector and unlocking investments.
Speaking at the 12th India Energy Storage Week (IESW) 2026, Vivek Jaswal, Executive Vice President and Head of Green Hydrogen Business at ReNew, said the industry’s biggest challenge is no longer technology but demand creation. He said a blending mechanism, similar to India’s ethanol programme, could help create a stable domestic market and accelerate adoption.
“We are also beginning to realise the offtakes. If you really look at the pricing, you’ll have to go to something like ethanol blending. That’s the blending you’re asking for. And you will have a market that is highly mobile. It will start moving,” Jaswal said.
Jaswal argued that green hydrogen has moved beyond the technology development stage, with the focus now shifting to infrastructure, market creation and commercial deployment.
“Hydrogen is no longer technology. It is infrastructure. It is real,” he said, adding that electrolysers, ammonia and methanol technologies are already mature, with the challenge now centred on integrating renewable electricity economically into green hydrogen production.
According to Jaswal, India has already demonstrated globally competitive green hydrogen production costs. Citing a recent tender, he said green hydrogen had achieved a price discovery of around $3.14 per kg, which he described as among the lowest globally, compared with significantly higher prices in parts of Europe.
He argued that the industry’s immediate requirement is not better technology but policy mechanisms that allow green hydrogen to compete fairly with conventional alternatives.
“Our competition is only grey. Allow me to price the carbon in, and I’ll beat grey any day,” he said.
Jaswal also called for greater international alignment on carbon markets and certification frameworks to support exports. He said recognition of India as a single bidding zone by overseas markets, particularly Europe, would significantly expand opportunities for Indian green hydrogen exports by enabling easier access to international markets.
He added that long-term offtake arrangements and faster policy implementation would be crucial to positioning India as a leading exporter of green hydrogen and its derivatives.