India joins Irena in decarbonisation push

India's renewable energy ministry has signed a partnership agreement with the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) to scale-up renewable and clean energy technology and develop green hydrogen, to support the country's decarbonisation efforts.

Irena will facilitate the exchange of knowledge on scaling-up renewable and clean energy technology and support the country's efforts to advance "cost-effective" decarbonisation through domestic green hydrogen produced using renewable energy. The partners will also assess green hydrogen's role in energy transition and as a new source of energy exports.

India the world's third-largest energy consumer and one of the top carbon emitters. The country is targeting to reduce projected carbon emissions by 1bn t by 2030, aiming to reduce its carbon intensity by 45pc by the same year and reach net zero emissions by 2070.

The country has been taking some steps on green hydrogen development, with state-owned and private-sector firms announcing large-scale investments in green hydrogen production.

By Sathya Narayanan