H2-PNG blending: The Road Ahead for Clean Cooking in India

Adani Total Gas Ltd has started blending 2.2-2.3% green hydrogen in natural gas [1]that is supplied to 4000 households for cooking in parts of Ahmedabad recently, this created a new spark in the clean cooking sector, paving the way for reducing import dependency and decarbonizing one of the major GHG emitting sectors.  This achievement marks a significant step towards reducing the carbon footprint and cleaner energy solutions in the clean cooking sector.

Natural gas accounts for 6.7% of India’s total energy mix [2]. In 2022, India’s Natural Gas consumption was 2161701 TJ [3], around half of which was imported, burdening the nation’s exchequer. India is expected to increase its NG consumption to 15% by 2030. PNG (Piped Natural Gas) is Natural gas supplied in city gas pipelines under certain pressure.  Natural gas is made of hydrocarbon, mainly methane. The natural calorific value is 42-55 MJ/Kg and has an energy density of 9MJ/L, while the LPG, the most widely used gas for cooking purposes in India constitutes 48% propane, 50% butane, and 2% pentene. The calorific value of LPG is 46-51 MJ/Kg and the energy density is 26 MJ/Kg. PNG is used for cooking in households which is supplied through the City Gas Distribution pipeline.

While using Natural gas for cooking is a step forward from Biomass-based cooking practices, but emission of NOX and methane is a matter of concern. Blending natural gas with hydrogen reduces its emission intensity and improves the quality of fuel.

Green Hydrogen in India is defined as hydrogen produced through electrolysis or conversion of biomass and the renewable source of energy is used for production. National Hydrogen Mission launched in 2023, with an initial corpus of 19,744 crores INR for the development of hydrogen production technology and supporting infrastructure [4].  India’s Green Hydrogen production capacity is likely to reach 5 MMT per annum, contributing to the reduction in dependence on the import of fossil fuels. Achievement of Mission targets is expected to reduce a cumulative ₹ 1 lakh crore worth of fossil fuel
imports by 2030 and abatement of nearly 50 MMT of annual greenhouse gas emission.  specific energy of hydrogen is between 120-140 MJ per kg while that of diesel and gasoline fuel is between 30-45 MJ per kg. Therefore, hydrogen’s specific energy (energy per unit mass) is around 3X to 4X times higher than gasoline and diesel fuels.

As per the NTPC (Kewas Township, Surat) pilot project assessment resealed in September 2023, 10% of the blending of H2 in the PNG Network would be
more economically viable than LPG for cooking purposes [5]. 20% of H2-PNG blending will reduce around 7% of carbon emissions [6], which means 2.2-2.3% H2-PNG blending that the commissioned plant of Adani Total Energy Ltd is distributing will reduce 0.7-0.8% of carbon emission.

Blending at scale will impact natural gas imports substantially, it will decrease the import and economic dependencies and boost the balance of trade, developing nations like India need to find alternatives to strengthen their national energy security. It will contribute to cutting down emissions to reduce its carbon footprint to comply with the nation’s NDC targets.

India is a developing nation aspiring to become a major economic power, which needs substantial energy consumption to support its growth. In this scenario, alternative paths like these will complement the reduction of carbon intensity.