SynopsisIndia is exploring green hydrogen as a cooking fuel to cut reliance on imported LPG. This initiative aims for energy stability and savings. The technology is in research and development, with startups showcasing its potential. Green hydrogen cooking produces a zero-emission flame. This could significantly boost India's energy security and self-reliance goals.AgenciesPSA Ajay Sood confirmed exploring green hydrogen for cooking to cut LPG dependence.NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is exploring green hydrogen as an alternative energy source for household cooking to cut import dependence on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), following continued disruptions amid the West Asia crisis, a top government official said."There is a possibility to use solar to produce green hydrogen and eventually make special burners for cooking," Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India told ET, adding that an electrical spark could create a flame much like an LPG flame, while the cooking process for consumers would remain the same.The novel idea is in the research and development (R&D) stage, while a few startups have recently showcased the possibility of creating a green hydrogen as an alternative energy source for cooking in households. If materialised, the strategy could lead to energy stability and save a huge gas import bill.Also Read: India taps Dutch tech, elevates ties to strategic partnership"We spend a lot of energy on cooking, not only in households, but in restaurants and many other things. This is another possibility," Sood added."Few start-ups have come up with a kind of hydrogen fuel. This is beautiful. You have an electrolyzer in which you put water which produces hydrogen and oxygen."Green hydrogen-based cooking process uses on-site electrolysers to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, providing a zero-emission flame.Also Read: PM Modi woos Swedish cos to invest in India, says 'reform express' going at full speedThe innovative approach requires custom-built appliances, with only a handful of Indian startups pioneering in the new domain that would eventually eliminate the need for LPG cylinders by generating hydrogen fuel on demand using green electric power and distilled water.The appliance or burner, designed and used in a modified cookstove, can run for roughly up to 6 hours with merely 100 milliliters of water and about 1 kWh of electricity. The procedure is eco-friendly since the combustion process produces a pure flame that only emits water vapor.State-owned National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has been testing and developing green hydrogen burners to blend and replace traditional LPG in kitchens.Recently, the NTPC Energy Technology Research Alliance (NETRA), the R&D wing of the country's largest integrated power utility, demonstrated successful hydrogen cooking with hydrogen supplied from its Greater Noida facility.The hydrogen burns with an almost invisible flame, with temperatures reaching up to 1500C.Recently, the NTPC commissioned India's first Green Hydrogen Mobility Project in Leh, and partnered with the Indian Army to establish a Solar Hydrogen-based microgrid at Chushul, Ladakh.With limited output through the Strait of Hormuz, following the ongoing West Asia crisis, several restaurants had to shut down in the aftermath of a cooking gas supply shortfall.This alternate source for cooking gas once commercialised could be a big achievement for India's energy security in line with the Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) ambition.In January 2023, the Centre launched the National Green Hydrogen Mission, with an outlay of ₹ 19,744 crore, to make the country a global hub for the production, usage, and export of green hydrogen. The initiative targets 5 MMT of annual green hydrogen production and 125 GW of associated renewable energy capacity by 2030.Read More News on...moreless