Solar to Hydrogen: Is India’s Clean Energy Transition Unstoppable?

The Indian Economy is striving to become greener and cleaner. A convergence of policy support and private sector aggression underpins this vision. This structural shift is evident in recent data points.

A noteworthy news in the private sector is Waaree Energies securing regulatory approval for a 5.25 GW of solar cell manufacturing capacity. The project includes 3,923 MW of advanced N-type TOPCon cells. The public sector is simultaneously in action with the GoI’s (Government of India’s) flagship PM Surya Ghar (Muft Bijli Yojana). The GoI scheme is backed by a ₹75,021 cr outlay. It has already benefitted 24.35 lakh households, with 7.71 lakh reporting zero electricity bills.

Thus, the green economy push is coming from both the public and the private sector.

Talking about the hydrogen sector, India is targeting a production cost of $1/kg by 2030. The aimed cost is considerably down from the current $4.5/kg levels.

Furthermore, incentive schemes have awarded 3,000 MW of electrolyser manufacturing capacity and 8.62 lakh tonnes of green hydrogen production capacity.

Even niche sectors are seeing traction, with startups like Evergreen Future launching waste-to-fuel machines priced at ₹85 lakh to process 5-100 tonnes of waste daily.

So, with such rapid policy-driven expansion across the entire value chain, is this the perfect entry point for investors to ride India's green wave?

The Green Hydrogen Ambition

India’s Green energy transition goes beyond electricity. It is shifting towards the decarbonisation of heavy industry.

India’s G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant, has articulated a bold vision of making India the lowest-cost producer of green hydrogen in the world. The target is to drive down production costs dramatically by the end of this decade.

Affordable green hydrogen is now viewed as an important pillar for energy transition, particularly for sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as steel, fertilizers, and heavy transportation.

The GoI is actively seeding this ecosystem through the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which has sanctioned Hydrogen Valley Innovation Clusters in major locations like Pune and Bhubaneswar.

Thus, the GoI is incentivising both electrolyser manufacturing and hydrogen production. The aim is to create a virtuous cycle where scaling up renewable power generation leads to sharp cost reductions in green hydrogen.

Once costs align with the targeted range, a meaningful shift from fossil fuels to green ammonia and hydrogen becomes economically viable, reducing the nation’s import dependency for energy-intensive feedstocks.

Innovation in Waste Management

The green economy is also being built from the ground up through decentralised innovation. Recently, Ecogenik was launched by a clean-energy startup Evergreen Future, highlighting the circular economy’s potential. This waste-to-solid fuel machine addresses two critical problems simultaneously.

• The unmanaged municipal waste
• The need for industrial fuel alternatives

As demonstrated at the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, the technology effectively converts unsegregated waste into high-calorific fuel. Thus, it offers a viable alternative to fossil coal for industries.

The solution is designed to be scalable. With this, large infrastructure ecosystems like ports can manage waste at the source while generating value.

The innovation proves that environmental responsibility can align with commercial viability.

Conclusion

The renewable energy landscape is being reshaped by a dual-engine approach operating simultaneously.

• Creating distinct supply-side capabilities
  
• Stimulating massive demand at the household level.
  

Waaree Energies’ recent inclusion in the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-II is expected to considerably reduce import dependence and offer developers greater certainty regarding supply continuity and quality, a vital factor for the stability of large-scale solar projects.

In the public sector, the PM-KUSUM scheme is replacing diesel pumps with solar alternatives and leasing barren land for solar projects. Thus, farmers are achieving breakeven in less than a year and securing a steady secondary income stream. The scheme is effectively insulating them from volatile fossil fuel prices.

The synchronised push across solar manufacturing, household adoption, green hydrogen, and waste management signals that India’s green transition is moving from policy intent to execution.

Source

ET Energy
ET Energy 1
PTI
BW Online