Special courses and skilling programs being designed for hydrogen sector manpower
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) plans to launch 15 fuel cell-driven buses in Delhi this year, with routes connecting Faridabad-Delhi, Delhi-Agra, and future extensions to cities such as Baroda-Kevadia and Trivandrum-City Centre.
Dr. SSV Ramakumar, IOCL Director (R&D), announced the plan at a press conference held on 7 July 2023 on the sidelines of the three-day International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH-2023).
Panelists at the conference informed that efforts are underway by academic associations, private universities and organizations like India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) to design special courses and skilling programs.
The Ministry of Skill Development & Education is also working on a policy to provide hands-on training in various aspects of the green hydrogen ecosystem.
India aims to produce 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030, with 70% earmarked for exports and the remaining 30% for domestic consumption.
Five priority sectors, including fertilizer, refinery, long-haul mobility (with pilots already in place in industries such as steel, shipping, and long-haul transportation), have been identified for green hydrogen applications.
The conference provided a comprehensive coverage of the entire green hydrogen ecosystem, including production, storage, mobility, utilization, distribution, infrastructure and transportation, MNRE Secretary Bhupinder S Bhalla.
The objective of ICGH 2023 was to learn from the experiences of other countries leading the development and deployment of green hydrogen, he said.
The three-day conference had over 2,700 registrations and featured participation from over 135 speakers, including representatives from countries such as Japan, Australia, Africa, and the European Union.
The conference included seven plenary sessions, four panel discussions, and 16 technical sessions.
A separate CEO roundtable, chaired by Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy R K Singh provided an opportunity to explore the potential opportunities in India’s green hydrogen ecosystem.
Additionally, closed-door country roundtables were organized with Singapore, South Korea, Japan, and the EU to discuss collaboration potential for mutual benefit. Fiinews.com
