UPSC Prelims 2026 Question:

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. 

Select the answer using the code given below : 

Answer: 2 

Explanation:  

Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced with very low or near-zero carbon emissions, mainly by using renewable  electricity to split water through electrolysis. It is important for decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors such as  refineries, fertilisers, steel, heavy transport and shipping. India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission seeks to build  domestic production capacity, reduce fossil-fuel dependence and support clean-energy transition. 

• Hydrogen obtained from natural gas reforming combined with carbon capture and storage is generally  referred to as blue hydrogen, not green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is not produced from fossil-fuel  reforming. So, statement 1 is not correct. 
• Green hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water using electricity generated from renewable  energy sources such as solar, wind or hydropower. Since the electricity input is renewable, the hydrogen  produced has very low associated carbon emissions. So, statement 2 is correct. 
• India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to abate nearly 50 MMT of annual greenhouse gas  emissions by 2030. It also targets large-scale green hydrogen production capacity and reduction in fossil fuel imports. So, statement 3 is correct. 

Therefore, option (2) is the correct answer.