India sees green ammonia exports starting as early as 2028

India plans to start shipping green ammonia overseas as early as 2028, according to Renewable Energy Secretary Santosh Kumar Sarangi, a boost to the nation’s ambition to become a global hub for clean hydrogen and its derivatives.

“Today we had a meeting with the Netherlands,” Sarangi said on Thursday on the sidelines of India Energy Week. “We are seeing a lot of interest.” The nation is discussing supply deals with consumers in Europe and Japan among others, counting on global demand for the clean fuel to decarbonize hard-to-abate industries.

India pivoted to the export market to reach its green hydrogen goals, after major domestic users, such as oil refineries and fertilizer producers, showed reluctance to switch to the cleaner but costlier raw material. Still, with global adoption being slower than expected, the government is also focusing on reviving the local market.


“We are working with oil refineries to create demand for 200,000 tons a year of green hydrogen,” Sarangi said, adding his ministry is in talks with the ministry of ports and shipping to create a market for half a million tons of green methanol, used to help decarbonize the shipping and chemicals industries.

India is set to miss its 2030 target to reach 5 million tons a year of green hydrogen output, Sarangi said in November, citing delays in global clean energy mandates. The country expects to reach the target by 2032, he said at the time.

Separately, Sarangi said his ministry’s focus will be on ensuring a safe integration of solar and wind power in the grid, as well as boosting local manufacturing — from solar to wind and batteries.

He was optimistic that a combination of solar, wind and batteries can blunt coal’s dominance in the country’s power mix. “In due of course battery storage prices will come down to the point that they will dilute the baseload argument for coal,” Sarangi said.