Electrolytic hydrogen produced through alkaline water or proton exchange membrane electrolysers using clean electricity sources has the potential to contribute to industrial decarbonization by displacing fossil fuels like natural gas, as a low carbon feed material or energy carrier. To have favourable economics of hydrogen production, it is necessary to operate electrolysers continually to make the best use of the installed capacity and associated capital investment. This can be ensured by operating them as grid connected facilities. For the case of India and using the real time grid electricity emissions intensity data from 1 st June 2024 to 31 st May 2025, it is found that the hourly embodied emissions intensity of continuously produced electrolytic hydrogen will be between 30-48 kg CO 2 /kg H 2 , which is 6.2-9.6 times and 30-48 times higher than the recommended values in different global clean hydrogen certification standards. Unless the grid receives electrical output from a judiciously deployed mix of clean electricity generators capable of supplying electricity with life cycle emissions intensity of no more than 18.2-89.1 gm CO 2 /kWh(e), low carbon hydrogen production by grid connected electrolysers cannot be accomplished in conformity with the defined standards. Thus, the priority for electricity driven deep decarbonization at economy wide level should be ensuring clean grid electricity availability and affordability across all Indian sectors.

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1. Bhattacharyya R, Singh KK, Grover RB, Bhanja K (2021). Nuclear hydrogen production for industrial decarbonization: Creating the business case for the near term. International Journal of Energy Research, 46(5):6929–6943.
2. Bhattacharyya R, Singh KK, Bhanja K, Grover RB (2022). Leveraging nuclear power-to-green hydrogen production potential in India – A near-term country perspective. International Journal of Energy Research, 46(13):18901–18918.
3. Bhattacharyya R, Singh KK, Bhanja K, Grover RB (2023). Assessing techno-economic uncertainties in nuclear power-to-X processes: The case of nuclear hydrogen production via water electrolysis. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (available online). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.11.315
4. Bhattacharyya R, Singh KK, Bhanja K, Grover RB (2024). Using electrolytic hydrogen production and energy storage for balancing a low-carbon electricity grid: Scenario assessments for India. Energy and Climate Change, 5:100131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egycc.2024.100131
5. Hertwich EG, Wood R (2018). The growing importance of scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions from industry. Environmental Research Letters, 13:104013.
6. Bube S, Lange K, Ruiz DG, Schindler S, Plaisir M, Kaltschmitt M, Bard J, Ilse K (2025). Sustainability regulations for PtX projects: Scope and impact analysis. Joule. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2025.101966
7. Ferrus MNC, Ruhnau O, Madlener R (2024). Portfolio effects in green hydrogen production under temporal matching requirements. Energy Strategy Reviews, 56:101580.
8. Bhattacharyya R, Misra A, Sandeep KC (2017). Photovoltaic solar energy conversion for hydrogen production by alkaline water electrolysis: Conceptual design and analysis. Energy Conversion and Management, 133:1–13.
9. Aulakh DJS, Boulama KG, Pharaoh JG (2021). On the reduction of electric energy consumption in electrolysis: A thermodynamic study. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 46(33):17084–17096.
10. MNRE (2025). Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India. National Green Hydrogen Mission, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India. Available at: https://mnre.gov.in/en/notice/green-hydrogen-certification-scheme-of-india/ (Last accessed on 7.6.2025)
11. Li W, Tian H, Ma L, Wang Y, Liu X, Gao X (2022). Low-temperature water electrolysis: Fundamentals, progress, and new strategies. Materials Advances, 3:5598–5644.

Electrolytic hydrogen produced through alkaline water or proton exchange membrane electrolysers using clean electricity sources has the potential to contribute to industrial decarbonization by displacing fossil fuels like natural gas, as a low carbon feed material or energy carrier. To have favourable economics of hydrogen production, it is necessary to operate electrolysers continually to make the best use of the installed capacity and associated capital investment. This can be ensured by operating them as grid connected facilities. For the case of India and using the real time grid electricity emissions intensity data from 1 st June 2024 to 31 st May 2025, it is found that the hourly embodied emissions intensity of continuously produced electrolytic hydrogen will be between 30-48 kg CO 2 /kg H 2 , which is 6.2-9.6 times and 30-48 times higher than the recommended values in different global clean hydrogen certification standards. Unless the grid receives electrical output from a judiciously deployed mix of clean electricity generators capable of supplying electricity with life cycle emissions intensity of no more than 18.2-89.1 gm CO 2 /kWh(e), low carbon hydrogen production by grid connected electrolysers cannot be accomplished in conformity with the defined standards. Thus, the priority for electricity driven deep decarbonization at economy wide level should be ensuring clean grid electricity availability and affordability across all Indian sectors.

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Bhattacharyya R, Singh KK, Grover RB, Bhanja K (2021). Nuclear hydrogen production for industrial decarbonization: Creating the business case for the near term. International Journal of Energy Research, 46(5):6929–6943.
2. Bhattacharyya R, Singh KK, Bhanja K, Grover RB (2022). Leveraging nuclear power-to-green hydrogen production potential in India – A near-term country perspective. International Journal of Energy Research, 46(13):18901–18918.
3. Bhattacharyya R, Singh KK, Bhanja K, Grover RB (2023). Assessing techno-economic uncertainties in nuclear power-to-X processes: The case of nuclear hydrogen production via water electrolysis. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (available online). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.11.315
4. Bhattacharyya R, Singh KK, Bhanja K, Grover RB (2024). Using electrolytic hydrogen production and energy storage for balancing a low-carbon electricity grid: Scenario assessments for India. Energy and Climate Change, 5:100131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egycc.2024.100131
5. Hertwich EG, Wood R (2018). The growing importance of scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions from industry. Environmental Research Letters, 13:104013.
6. Bube S, Lange K, Ruiz DG, Schindler S, Plaisir M, Kaltschmitt M, Bard J, Ilse K (2025). Sustainability regulations for PtX projects: Scope and impact analysis. Joule. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2025.101966
7. Ferrus MNC, Ruhnau O, Madlener R (2024). Portfolio effects in green hydrogen production under temporal matching requirements. Energy Strategy Reviews, 56:101580.
8. Bhattacharyya R, Misra A, Sandeep KC (2017). Photovoltaic solar energy conversion for hydrogen production by alkaline water electrolysis: Conceptual design and analysis. Energy Conversion and Management, 133:1–13.
9. Aulakh DJS, Boulama KG, Pharaoh JG (2021). On the reduction of electric energy consumption in electrolysis: A thermodynamic study. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 46(33):17084–17096.
10. MNRE (2025). Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India. National Green Hydrogen Mission, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India. Available at: https://mnre.gov.in/en/notice/green-hydrogen-certification-scheme-of-india/ (Last accessed on 7.6.2025)
11. Li W, Tian H, Ma L, Wang Y, Liu X, Gao X (2022). Low-temperature water electrolysis: Fundamentals, progress, and new strategies. Materials Advances, 3:5598–5644.