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FICCI and Scottish Chambers of Commerce explore collaboration opportunities in green hydrogen
Feb 23, 2023
February 23, 2023: Green hydrogen is one of the several options before us to achieve the target of halving fossil fuel emissions by 2030, said Mr Bijay Selvaraj, Consul General of India, Edinburgh, at the Virtual Roundtable on India-Scotland Partnership: Opportunities for Green Hydrogen organised by FICCI, Consulate General of India, Edinburgh and the Scottish Chambers of Commerce.
"We look at this roundtable as a first step for interaction between Indian and Scottish companies", said the Consul General. He added, "I look forward to visits of businesspeople interested in green hydrogen from Scotland to India, and from India to Scotland to see for themselves the work that is happening and how best they can collaborate and take the technology forward for the better of the people of both our countries".
The Roundtable served as a platform for stakeholders to interact and explore collaboration opportunities in green hydrogen.
On occasion, Mr Sandeep Kashyap, Co-Chair of FICCI Hydrogen Energy Committee and Chief Operating Officer, ACME, said, "India's hydrogen ambitions position the country as one of the few globally attractive nations to green hydrogen production". He added that India already sees various foreign OEMs and technology providers' interest in collaborating with Indian players. Highlighting the strong partnership potential between India and Scotland, Kashyap said, "Scotland is a testbed for innovative hydrogen energy solutions. Therefore, we must focus on collaborating in technology innovation, research and development, skill development, and nurturing startups".
Mr Kolluru Krishan, Chairman, CVC Infrastructure, noted Scotland's significant natural resources and aspiration to become a major exporter of green hydrogen. Besides, he highlighted India's ambitious programme focused on domestic consumption and exports of Green Hydrogen. "So, we should try and find a way to collaborate and combine our strengths", he said.
India has been positioned as one of the biggest markets for green hydrogen. The country has set a production target of five MMTPA green hydrogen by 2030. It aspires to capture 10% of the market share in global exports of green hydrogen and its derivatives. On the other hand, Pound 100 million will be pumped into Scotland's hydrogen industry over the next five years. Experts believe India and Scotland's bilateral partnership will be mutually beneficial.
Ms Seona Shand, International Trade Director at the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said, "companies from all around the globe have chosen Scotland because of the incredible opportunities. Renewable energy is a priority, not just for Scotland but for everyone. That's why we're committed to finding ever-greener and cleaner methods of powering the modern world. So it's vitally important that we engage directly with businesses in India. We want to show them what Scotland has to offer. Working with FICCI at this Roundtable allows us to create an environment in Scotland that supports a better understanding of international opportunities in the green hydrogen market and a greater ability to seize them".
Mr Naresh Lalwani, Co-Chair, FICCI Hydrogen Energy Committee and Head - Business Development, Green Hydrogen & Derivatives, JSW Energy, underscored that private organisations from both sides could play an active role in enhancing cross-country collaboration technology, innovation, R&D, skill development, manufacturing and startups.
The Roundtable was organised in the run-up to the FICCI flagship summit on Green Hydrogen scheduled for May 2023. The Summit will be an annual platform to engage policymakers, businesses, and other stakeholders to promote the green hydrogen ecosystem in India. It will focus on building consensus on enabling a policy environment that catalyses investments and facilitates the development of the hydrogen value chain from production to infrastructure and end usage.