The Kerala government is preparing a policy on green hydrogen, with discussions underway at different levels, Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty informed the Assembly on Wednesday, reports The Economic Times.
A draft policy has been submitted by the Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (ANERT), the state’s renewable energy nodal agency, and is awaiting government approval, the minister said. “Discussions are going on at various levels. It is expected to be finalised soon and get clearance,” he told legislators during Question Hour.
Krishnankutty said the Union Ministry of Science and Technology has already cleared Kerala’s “hydrogen valley innovation cluster” project, to be implemented by ANERT. The ₹133.18 crore project is part of the Centre’s National Green Hydrogen Mission and is one of only four such initiatives approved nationwide.
In its pilot phase, the project aims to produce 57 tonnes of green hydrogen, with applications in heavy road transport vehicles, houseboats and other sectors.
While acknowledging that green hydrogen remains an expensive fuel, the minister underlined its importance in cutting emissions. He said it would be crucial for Kerala to achieve its target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
