Sri Lanka to explore generating green hydrogen for transport sector with India’s Greenstat

The Cabinet approval was granted this week to appoint Greenstat Hydrogen India (Pvt.) Ltd to conduct a feasibility study into generating green hydrogen for Sri Lanka’s transport sector.

Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila this week sought the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers to appoint Greenstat Hydrogen India, which is an affiliated body of Greenstat AS of Norway, to conduct the feasibility study on a pilot project.

Accordingly, Sri Lanka Petroleum Development Authority and Greenstat Hydrogen India would enter into an agreement to conduct the feasibility study.

The green hydrogen is to be generated utilising floating solar and wind power combination.
Green hydrogen fuel is expected to play a crucial role in the transition to full decarbonization and the use of excess renewables, in particular solar, to produce green hydrogen that is gaining traction across the world.

“The government has set a goal to achieve  decarbonaization by the year 2050. In order to realise this goal, the requirement of gradually converting from fossil fuel to green energy production and consumption by changing energy supply networks has been recognised. 

Accordingly, steps should be taken to minimise gas emissions in industries where electricity and transport sectors as well as thermal power utilisation occurs,” the Government Information Department said.

The use of green hydrogen to power larger vehicles is becoming popular where the weight and driving range of electric batteries can present challenges. 

Moreover, refueling a vehicle with hydrogen is faster than recharging a battery, making it an attractive option for road users.