Mangalore-the future green hydrogen hub.
Hydrogen fuel is a greener alternative to conventional fuel like petrol, diesel, kerosene, coal, etc. Excessive extraction of crude oil and mining for coal will eventually exhaust the earth’s resources. We need sustainable fuel for the future which is less polluting and has low carbon emissions. We also need to tackle the most important issue of climate change.
Hydrogen is obtained by the electrolysis of water with the help of renewable sources like wind and solar energy. It can be used to power cars, trucks, trains, ships, aircraft and heavy machinery. It has its uses in the steel and cement industry.
The government of India has put forward a project called National Hydrogen Mission, the regions suitable for hydrogen production will come up with green hydrogen hubs in the nation. Mangalore (Mangalore special economic zone-MSEZ) is one such region .Seven companies have evinced interest to invest in Mangalore and four of them have been cleared for investment. A lot of investments has come in to finance these projects. Mangalore is an ideal location as it is geographically located in a region with abundant solar power and wind power. It has a port which makes it ideal for the export of green hydrogen fuel to the world. Large-scale production of hydrogen fuel is good news for the economy as it will cater to domestic needs as well as increase the GDP of the country. It will boost employment opportunities and will generate a lot of income. Structural and technological changes in the infrastructure of the country will be required to adapt to a hydrogen fuel economy. Most of the income generated in India is used to finance the import of crude oil from other oil-rich nations. Mass production of hydrogen fuel in the country can help with the trade deficit and also bring in much-needed foreign investments and improve forex reserves through the export of hydrogen fuel to other countries. Our prime minister said “Green hydrogen will give India a quantum jump in achieving its targets”.India is working on hydrogen-powered trains and vehicles and trying to decarbonize industries like fertilizers, petrochemicals, iron and steel. Green hydrogen fuel will also reduce the country’s dependence on imports like feedstock and fossil fuel. There will be scope for research and development in the field of transport, fuelling stations, hydrogen fuel supply and storage.Green hydrogen fuel has attracted major firms investment proposals worth 2.8 lakh crores to invest in Mangalore.Officials have stated Mangalore is going to come up as the country’s first green hydrogen cluster. The city will become a major green hydrogen fuel production hub if these projects are initiated. This will cause Mangalore to achieve a global presence due to its port which will handle huge-scale exports of hydrogen fuel. The proposed electrolyzer plants will store hydrogen as ammonia to facilitate easier storage. ( liquid or gaseous hydrogen storage requires high pressure and low temperature). The government has already allotted 220 acres of land in MSEZ and pledged support for infrastructure required to set up these plants .It also has an abundant supply of water to facilitate production of hydrogen.
With Mangalore piloting the future of energy manufacturing in the country, I am hopeful that the city will witness unprecedented transformation in its infrastructures and transport connectivity.