As India prepares to expand hydrogen-based mobility, the Centre is tightening the technical framework for testing the quality of hydrogen used in fuel-cell vehicles, two people said.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), under the ministry of consumer affairs, has notified an updated Indian Standard laying down laboratory methods to measure impurities in hydrogen supplied to Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel-cell vehicles.
The move comes as fuel quality faces growing public scrutiny, with questions being raised over the performance and impact of newer fuels and fuel blends, including E20 petrol.
While the standard is voluntary unless mandated by a regulator, it provides a common technical framework for laboratories, hydrogen producers, vehicle manufacturers and testing agencies as India builds out its hydrogen ecosystem under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.
“The newly notified norms specify analytical methods for measuring impurities in hydrogen supplied to Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel-cell vehicles — a type of hydrogen-powered electric vehicle that generates electricity on board by combining hydrogen with oxygen from the air,” said the one of the two people cited above.
Unlike conventional internal combustion engines, fuel-cell systems are highly sensitive to fuel quality. Even trace quantities of contaminants such as carbon monoxide, sulphur compounds, ammonia, halogenated compounds and moisture can reduce fuel-cell efficiency and shorten component life.
“The standard prescribes validated laboratory methods to detect and quantify these impurities before the hydrogen is supplied for use,” said the second person.
Why hydrogen quality matters
The standard is designed to ensure that hydrogen supplied to fuel-cell vehicles meets consistent quality benchmarks, said Mohit Garg, senior scientist, chemical department, BIS.
“As the country advances towards cleaner energy systems, hydrogen mobility, and the development of a robust hydrogen value chain, these harmonized standards provide a consistent technical framework for accurate testing, calibration, quality assurance, interoperability, and greater confidence in testing results while facilitating global compatibility,” Garg said in response to Mint's queries.
The updated standards are expected to be relevant to hydrogen producers and suppliers, testing laboratories, vehicle manufacturers, fuel-cell developers and certification bodies, among others.
Experts said hydrogen has a role to play in decarbonising sectors that are difficult to electrify, including steel, refining, fertilizer and long-haul transport. But that role depends on the fuel performing consistently against defined quality and safety benchmarks.
“Clear thresholds give buyers and regulators a common reference, which is what turns a clean-energy pledge into verifiable climate outcomes…As India scales its hydrogen ambitions, the testing and certification ecosystem has to grow alongside, so that quality is proven at every point in the supply chain and never taken on faith,” said Manish Dabkara, chairman and managing director, EKI Energy Services, and president, Carbon Markets Association of India.
India's National Green Hydrogen Mission, launched in January 2023, aims to position the country as a global hub for the production, use and export of green hydrogen. By 2030, it targets annual production capacity of at least 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen, supported by around 125GW of additional renewable energy capacity.
Piyush Goyal, co-founder and chief executive of Volks Energie, said standards and quality assurance would be critical as hydrogen and energy storage become part of India's decarbonising power system. He added that certification and testing infrastructure would need to expand alongside the sector so that compliance becomes routine rather than a hurdle for early movers.
“Quality is what turns a promising molecule into a bankable business,” Goyal said.
But the push also faces concerns over the economics and infrastructure needed to scale the fuel.
Harjeet Singh, founding director of Satat Sampada Climate Foundation, cautioned against letting political momentum around green hydrogen outpace scientific and economic scrutiny. He said India should avoid repeating the mistakes of the early biofuel rollout, where supply-chain bottlenecks, land-use conflicts and miscalculations around lifecycle emissions limited its impact.
“Hydrogen holds immense promise for hard-to-abate sectors, but we cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the steep infrastructure risks, high water intensity, and efficiency losses inherent to its production. We must rigorously analyse the efficiency data and double-check safety protocols to ensure this new technology delivers true energy security,” Singh said.