UPSC Prelims 2026 Q45: Green Hydrogen & National Mission — Explained

Which of the following statements with regard to Green Hydrogen is/are correct?

1. It is decarbonized hydrogen obtained from natural gas reforming combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS).

2. It is produced using electrolysis of water with electricity generated by renewable energy.

3. National Green Hydrogen Mission of India aims for abatement of nearly 50 MMT of annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

1 only
2 and 3 only
2 only
1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only

Statement-wise explanation

1: incorrect — This describes blue hydrogen. Blue hydrogen is made from natural gas by steam methane reforming, and the CO2 it releases is captured and stored (CCS). The fuel is still fossil, so the hydrogen is low-carbon but not green. India's Green Hydrogen Standard (MNRE, notified 19 August 2023) covers only the electrolysis route and the biomass route.
2: correct — Green hydrogen is hydrogen made by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen with electricity (electrolysis), where the electricity comes from renewable sources such as solar or wind. India's standard sets the limit: well-to-gate emissions of no more than 2 kg CO2 equivalent per kg of hydrogen, averaged over 12 months.
3: correct — The Union Cabinet approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission in January 2023 with an outlay of ₹19,744 crore. Its 2030 outcomes include 'abatement of nearly 50 MMT of annual greenhouse gas emissions'. The other 2030 outcomes are at least 5 MMT a year of green hydrogen production capacity and about 125 GW of new renewable capacity.

How to eliminate

Basic knowledge settles most of this. 'Natural gas reforming with CCS' is the textbook definition of blue hydrogen. Any gas-based route cannot be called 'green', so statement 1 is out. That removes the options containing 1 ('1 only' and '1, 2 and 3'). Statement 2 is the definition of green hydrogen, so the choice is between '2 only' and '2 and 3 only'. Only the figure in statement 3 decides between them, and option structure cannot help you guess it. The facts to remember are the Mission's three 2030 numbers: 5 MMT a year of production, about 125 GW of new renewable capacity, and nearly 50 MMT a year of GHG emissions avoided.

Know more

The hydrogen colour code labels hydrogen by how it is made, not by how it looks. All hydrogen is a colourless gas.

Colour	Feedstock / energy	CO2 outcome
Grey	Natural gas (steam methane reforming) or other fossil fuels	CO2 released to air
Blue	Natural gas reforming + carbon capture and storage	Most CO2 captured and stored
Green	Electrolysis of water using renewable power (India also counts biomass routes)	Near-zero
Brown/Black	Coal gasification	High CO2
Pink	Electrolysis using nuclear power	Near-zero

India's Green Hydrogen Standard was notified by MNRE on 19 August 2023. Hydrogen counts as 'green' if well-to-gate emissions are at most 2 kg CO2e per kg H2, averaged over 12 months. Well-to-gate covers water treatment, electrolysis, gas purification, drying and compression. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (Ministry of Power) is the nodal authority that accredits certification agencies.

National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM)

Approved by the Union Cabinet on 4 January 2023 and run by MNRE.
Outlay of ₹19,744 crore: SIGHT programme ₹17,490 crore (incentives for electrolyser manufacturing and green hydrogen production), pilot projects ₹1,466 crore, R&D ₹400 crore, other components ₹388 crore.
2030 outcomes:
at least 5 MMT a year of production capacity
about 125 GW of new renewable capacity
over ₹8 lakh crore of investment
over 6 lakh jobs
over ₹1 lakh crore less in fossil fuel imports
nearly 50 MMT a year of GHG emissions avoided
Phase I (2022-23 to 2025-26) builds demand in sectors that already use hydrogen: refineries, fertilisers and city gas. Phase II (2026-27 to 2029-30) extends to steel, mobility, shipping, railways and aviation.

In the news

2025-26 was the last year of the Mission's Phase I, and green hydrogen stayed in the news through early 2026. Price discovery for refinery supply was reported at India Energy Week 2026. About 8,000 tonnes a year of capacity had been commissioned by February 2026. The 2026 Budget set aside ₹20,000 crore for carbon capture, which makes the blue-versus-green distinction a natural trap.

NCERT Concepts to Revise

Green hydrogen: The whole question tests what 'green' means: which production route and energy source qualify hydrogen for that label under India's standard.
Blue hydrogen: Statement 1 describes natural gas reforming with carbon capture, so knowing what defines blue hydrogen is key to judging it.
Grey hydrogen: Grey hydrogen, made from natural gas without capturing CO2, is the baseline that helps separate the colour labels in Statements 1 and 2.
Carbon capture and storage: Statement 1 relies on CCS. You need to know whether capturing CO2 from fossil-based hydrogen makes it count as green.
National Green Hydrogen Mission: Statement 3 quotes a 2030 target of about 50 MMT a year in emissions abatement, so recalling the Mission's stated outcomes matters here.