The Kerala government recently announced a scheme of Rs. 200 crore for developing green hydrogen hubs at Trivandrum and Kochi.
“A scheme of Rs. 200 crore is announced for viability gap funding, grant, equity support to set up green hydrogen hubs in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram over the next two years,” said K N Balagopal, Minister for Finance, in his Budget speech.
He said that an additional amount of Rs. 20 crore is also earmarked for this.
“Kerala aims to become a 100% renewable energy-dependent state by 2040 and a net carbon neutral state by 2050. The state has a favorable atmosphere for the production of green hydrogen,” added the state’s FM.
He said that green hydrogen, which is produced using renewable energy, can play an important role in eco-friendly development as hydrogen fuel can be used in long-haul vehicles and ships to reduce carbon emissions to a great extent.
The minister also said that a new Energy Park will be set up to utilise the possibilities of power generation from renewable sources. An amount of Rs. 10 crore is earmarked for an industrial park manufacturing EV batteries and allied equipment, he added.