Policy recommendation and conclusion

 Policy recommendation and conclusion

Indigenising electrolyser manufacturing will need a strategic approach and support from the Government, innovation from research laboratories and academic institutes and

intent from the industry. We recommend the following measures to indigenise electrolyser manufacturing:

1. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) should adopt a three-pronged strategy

to maximise indigenisation of electrolyser manufacturing

» Ensuring that finished components for electrolysers are made in India even if the raw material are imported due to a lack of domestic availability

» Focusing on research to reduce the loading of critical minerals not available in India

and developing their alternatives, and

» Prioritising the development of advanced membrane technologies to minimise import

dependency.

2. The MNRE should develop a compendium of domestic suppliers for all components –

especially those involving low-TRL components like porous transport layer, bipolar plate

etc. used for electrolyser manufacturing – and place it in the public domain for easy access

to electrolyser manufacturers.

3. Power electronics constitute 15-30 per cent of the total electrolyser cost. The MNRE should

provide the necessary support for the manufacture of power electronics for electrolysers

through integration with existing Government of India schemes like Scheme for Promotion

of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS) and Modified

Electronics Manufacturing Clusters Scheme (EMC 2.0) for domestic manufacture of

electronics.

4. The MNRE should initiate the development of an electrolyser testing facility that will serve

as a platform for the development and optimisation of indigenous electrolyser designs,

and contribute to the broader goal of achieving cost-effective electrolyser manufacturing.

5. The R&D projects under NGHM should have well-defined technology development targets

for reducing the dependency on imported technologies and minerals and also reducing

the manufacturing cost. Further, the R&D projects should focus on supporting new

technologies like AEM, E-TAC, and capillary-based electrolysers.

6. The MNRE should coordinate with other ministries like Ministry of Mines to develop a

resilient supply chain for the minerals used in electrolyser manufacturing for domestic

manufacturers.

7. The MNRE should coordinate with Ministry of Commerce to create a new harmonised

system (HS) code for monitoring imports of hydrogen-related components in Ind