Gujarat Kicks-off Design for Hydrogen Valley Project
27 April 2023: Through the first stakeholder’s consultation meeting, held in Ahmedabad on 21st April 2023, Gujarat kicked-off the much-anticipated Hydrogen Valley Project with aim to develop a localized hydrogen value chain where it serves more than one end sector or application in mobility, industry, and energy. The meeting was jointly organized by iCreate in collaboration with Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to Government of India. Sunil Parekh, a Board Member of the FICCI National Executive Council, served as one of the co-chairs for the event.
DST’s vision is to support India’s progress towards Green Hydrogen and to transform India into an energy-independent nation by 2047 where green hydrogen will play an active role as an alternate fuel to petroleum/ fossil-based products. The project will promote research on novel hydrogen technologies while building capacity and capability for its production, distribution, and use cases in a timely and cost-effective manner. Dr. Ranjith Krishna Pai Scientist ‘E’/Director at Climate Change & Clean Energy (C³E) Division, DST-GoI, presented the guidelines for setting up Hydrogen Valley Innovation clusters.
The keynote address on “Role of research and innovation in accelerating the Hydrogen Economy” was delivered by Padmashri Dr. G. D Yadav, Emeritus Professor of Eminence and former Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Chemical Technology. Sandip J. Sagale, IAS, Industries Commissioner of Government of Gujarat, also shared insights on the immense potential of the hydrogen ecosystem in not only addressing energy challenges but also creating abundant opportunities for stakeholders, particularly in the MSME sector and generating new job prospects in the near future.
Speaking on the occasion, Avinash Punekar, CEO, iCreate said, “With the help of innovation and technology, India has always been at the forefront of positive climate action globally. iCreate is proud to be leading the Gujarat Hydrogen Valley Consortium, which will be integral to meeting India’s commitment to reduce the Emissions Intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030. iCreate is confident that working together with a common synergy will lead to the creation of a unique and supremely successful Hydrogen Valley Project model to be implemented across India.”
The event saw participation from companies like Reliance Industries Ltd., Welspun Enterprises Ltd., Essar, Adani Group, Hypower Systems, ArcerlorMittal Nippon Steel India; MG Motor India; State PSUs like Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited, Gujarat Alkalies, and Chemicals Limited, Gujarat Energy Development Agency; City Gas distribution company Charotar Gas Sahakari Mandali Limited; and R&D institutions like CSIR – Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI), Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI), IIT Mandi.
The Hydrogen Valley Innovation Cluster in Gujarat will be a part of India’s efforts to develop clean Hydrogen Valleys by 2030. In its first meeting facilitated by iCreate a leading innovation-based start-up incubator, representatives from stakeholders such as the Department of Science and Technology (DST) – Govt. of India, Govt. of Gujarat, industry partners, financial institutions, academia, and innovators explored aspects of policy and framework along with unique partnerships to further R&D in state-of-the-art hydrogen technologies.
