Author: PPD Team Date: 01/05/2025
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has launched the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme (GHCI) to standardise and certify green hydrogen production in India.
The certification scheme sets a greenhouse gas emissions limit of 2 kg CO₂ equivalent per kg of hydrogen. This threshold applies to hydrogen produced via electrolysis or biomass pathways, calculated as a 12-month average. The certification is mandatory if the producer receives government incentives, sells hydrogen domestically, or supplies a mix of domestic and export markets. Producers exporting without incentives are exempt but must comply with destination country standards.
Certification follows two facility-level stages (concept and facility) and two production-level stages (provisional and final). Provisional certificates can be issued for one to eleven months. The evaluation cycle aligns with the financial year. Hydrogen exceeding the emissions threshold or missing deadlines for final certification will lose certification and face a three-year ineligibility for further certification.
Producers must adopt a monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) system. Emissions are assessed within defined system boundaries—covering inputs like water treatment, electrolysis, and onsite storage, but excluding capital goods, business travel, or equipment manufacture. Only hydrogen within the emissions limit qualifies as green and can be used for carbon credit claims under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme.
Certification under GHCI includes a unique ID per 100 kg of hydrogen. While final certification costs Rs 5 per 100 kg, all other certificates are free. The scheme also incorporates ISO 19870:2023 for lifecycle emissions assessment. MNRE may revise the scheme, and certification does not replace statutory approvals for plant establishment.
A dedicated monitoring committee will oversee implementation and address operational issues. The move supports the government’s aim to create a self-reliant green hydrogen ecosystem by 2030.