Govt. Unveils Revised Guidelines for Hydrogen Valley Clusters and Green Hydrogen Hubs

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), under the Government of India, has officially released revised guidelines for establishing Hydrogen Valley Innovation Clusters (HVICs) and Green Hydrogen Hubs across the country.

This move falls under the broader framework of the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), aimed at accelerating the deployment of green hydrogen (GH2) technologies and infrastructure in India.

As per the directive issued by the Ministry's Hydrogen Division, the revised scheme has received the sanction of the President of India. It aims to foster regional hydrogen ecosystems that serve as innovation test beds and scalable models for hydrogen adoption across sectors such as industry, mobility, and energy.

Under Component A of the scheme, HVICs will be strategically located in diverse regions to showcase a variety of green hydrogen use cases. These clusters will serve as 'living labs,' enabling small-scale implementations and techno-economic studies. Each cluster is expected to facilitate business innovation by connecting hydrogen producers with end-users, while also generating valuable insights for future policy development. However, the responsibility for securing land and build-up space for these clusters will lie solely with the implementing agencies, no government funding will be provided for land acquisition.

The HVICs are also expected to ensure a sustainable demand-supply balance by securing end-user commitments and building localised hydrogen value chains. The outcome of these efforts is expected to contribute to the formation of a robust regulatory and policy framework for green hydrogen adoption beyond the funding cycle of the NGHM. All GH2 production under the scheme must comply with government-defined standards.

Component B outlines the framework for developing Green Hydrogen Hubs, designated geographic zones where hydrogen production, storage, processing, and transportation infrastructure will co-exist alongside end-use sectors. These hubs may be located inland or near coastal ports to facilitate domestic use and exports. Priority will be given to hubs with a planned or announced capacity of 1,00,000 metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) or more.

Hubs are encouraged to leverage existing infrastructure and will be integrated into the PM Gati Shakti portal to ensure efficient and coordinated infrastructure development. Potential hub locations include clusters near refineries, fertiliser plants, and other heavy industrial users.

The implementation of the scheme will follow detailed guidelines outlined in the annexure to the official order. The expenditures will be met from budget allocations under the NGHM. While the Department of Science and Technology (DST) will appoint a Scheme Implementing Agency (SIA) for HVICs, MNRE and its nominated SIA will be responsible for implementing the Green Hydrogen Hubs component.

The revised guidelines mark a significant policy shift towards a more decentralised, innovation-driven approach to building India’s green hydrogen economy.