According to Chart Industries, a sponsor of H2Tech’s H2Tech Solutions conference in May, global energy and industrial majors have come together to form a new energy transition coalition, the India H2 Alliance (IH2A), focused on commercializing hydrogen technologies and systems to build net-zero carbon pathways in India. IH2A will work together to build the hydrogen economy and supply chain in India and help develop blue and green hydrogen production and storage, and build hydrogen-use industrial clusters and transport use-cases with hydrogen-powered fuel cells. IH2A will focus on industrial clusters, specifically steel, refineries, fertilizer, cement, ports and logistics; as well as heavy-duty transport use cases and the establishment of standards for storage and transport hydrogen in pressurized and liquified form.

IH2A will work with the government on five areas – (1) develop a National Hydrogen Policy and Roadmap 2021-2030, (2) creation of a National H2 Taskforce and Mission in a public-private partnership format, (3) identify National Large H2 Demonstration-Stage Projects, (4) help create a national India H2 Fund and (5) create hydrogen-linked capacity covering hydrogen production, storage and distribution, industrial use-cases, transport use-cases and standards.

Commenting on the focus of IH2A, Anurag Pandey, R&D Team Lead, Reliance Industries Limited, said, "India needs to identify and execute large-scale hydrogen demonstration projects if it wants to be part of the global supply chain for hydrogen. Beyond R&D pilots, India needs ‘hydrogen-valley’ style national initiatives across a region like a high-traffic industrial freight corridor, with multiple use-cases. Such hydrogen-related systems projects are strategic for India’s energy transition plans, linking closely with renewables and battery-technology. These require multiple industry players to come together and form consortia to implement such projects. IH2A will take the lead on such initiatives."

The India H2 Alliance will have a panel of hydrogen experts and a IH2A secretariat to support member companies. The IH2A Secretariat will be run by consulting firm FTI Consulting.