Punjab Government to Introduce Green Hydrogen Policy, Aiming for Renewable Energy Leadership

In an effort to establish Punjab as a leading state in the production of non-conventional energy, the state government is set to introduce a Green Hydrogen Policy. The announcement was made by Aman Arora, the Minister of New and Renewable Energy Sources for Punjab. Speaking at the 5th Elets National Energy Summit in Chandigarh, Arora emphasized the need to transition from conventional power generation to renewable energy sources for the sake of the environment. He highlighted the government’s target of achieving a 30% share of renewable energy by 2030 in order to meet national goals outlined in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Arora further expressed the aim of transforming every energy consumer into a producer. Currently, Punjab has already installed renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 3,200 MW, including 2,000 MW from solar plants, accounting for approximately 21% of the state’s overall installed capacity. The goal is to increase the share of renewable energy to 30% by 2030.

The minister also emphasized the immense potential of Punjab in terms of renewable energy production, citing the annual production of over 20 million tonnes of paddy straw. To harness this potential, the Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) has been actively working on converting paddy straw into a valuable asset for farmers. Currently, 43 compressed biogas (CBG) projects utilizing paddy straw and agricultural residue have been allocated, with Asia’s largest CBG plant, boasting a total capacity of over 33 tonnes per day (TPD), already commissioned in Sangrur district. Once completed, these projects will generate 515.58 TPD of CBG while simultaneously consuming 2 million tonnes of paddy straw annually.

The introduction of the Green Hydrogen Policy and the focus on renewable energy sources demonstrate Punjab’s commitment to sustainable and environmentally friendly energy production, contributing to the broader national and global goals of combating climate change and achieving a greener future.