Pralhad Joshi launches Green Hydrogen Certification Portal of India (GHCI)

📌 Summary:

• Union Minister Pralhad Joshi launched the Green Hydrogen Certification Portal of India (GHCI), developed by MNRE, to enable transparent certification and regulatory compliance under the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India
• Launched at the National Workshop on the National Green Hydrogen Mission, marking 12 years of the government
• State policy uptake: 6 States have notified dedicated Green Hydrogen policies, 7 have integrated hydrogen into existing frameworks, and 4 more are finalising policies
• Manufacturing push: incentives to 15 companies for 3,000 MW/year of indigenous electrolyser capacity, cutting import dependence
• Sectoral deployment: contracts for 30,000 MTPA green hydrogen supply to IOCL, BPCL, HPCL, NRL; ₹84 crore for 100% hydrogen-injection pilots in steel; ~₹208 crore for 37 hydrogen vehicles and 9 refuelling stations; ₹113 crore R&D roadmap for 21 projects; agreements for 6.7 lakh MTPA green ammonia to 11 fertiliser plants
• National Green Hydrogen Mission (launched 2023): outlay ₹19,744 crore; targets 5 MMT green hydrogen capacity, 125 GW dedicated renewable capacity, >₹8 lakh crore investment and over 6 lakh jobs

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 Environment/Economy — clean-energy transition, decarbonisation, green hydrogen ecosystem and import substitution

📝 Prelims Facts:

• GHCI = Green Hydrogen Certification Portal of India; developed by MNRE
• National Green Hydrogen Mission: launched 2023; outlay ₹19,744 crore; target 5 MMT capacity, 125 GW RE
• Standards finalised recently for Green Ammonia and Green Methanol

🔑 Key Term: Green Hydrogen — hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water using renewable electricity, with near-zero carbon emissions