This will the first such standard by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BIS) for assessing electrolyser efficiency in India and applies to three key electrolyser technologies used in the country—alkaline water, proton exchange and anion exchange membrane electrolysers.
“The standard does not replace any existing ones, because none existed in this category before,” said the first of the two persons cited above. “It fills a long-standing gap by offering a uniform benchmark for measuring efficiency, hydrogen purity, electricity consumption and equipment performance.”
Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using an electrolyser powered by renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. It is used or blended with other fuels in several industries. India’s total hydrogen demand is expected to touch 15-20 million tonnes (mt) by 2029-30, up from the current 5-7 mt,according to a report by SBICAPS published in December 2024.
As India aims to become a global hub for green hydrogen and electrolyser manufacturing, the standard seeks to boost domestic production, reduce dependence on imports and ensure fair competition among manufacturers.
“The objective of this standard is to define a procedure to check the initial performance of electrolyser stacks (ST) and electrolyser systems (ES),” said the first person.
“With green hydrogen seen as a pillar of clean energy, we need trusted and transparent benchmarks. This standard aims to create that baseline,” said the second person.
“The draft of standards has been prepared and shared with industry stakeholders and concerned departments. They have been asked to submit their suggestions by 25 August, and based on these inputs, the standards will be finalized by the year-end,” this person said.
Both the persons refused to be identified and didn’t share the draft of the standards prepared by the BIS, which works under the ministry of consumer affairs. Queries sent to the ministry remained unanswered until press time.
The draft proposes a detailed testing methodology for evaluating performance under standard operating conditions, including how much electricity is needed to produce a kilogram of hydrogen, how pure the hydrogen is and how much of the electricity input is effectively used. These metrics are critical because hydrogen production costs are directly tied to electrolyser efficiency.
According to a report on the hydrogen market for the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry prepared by ICF International, a global consulting and technology services firm, India is the world’s third-largest consumer and producer of hydrogen after China and the US.
The report projects that India’s hydrogen demand could rise 2.5 to 3.5 times by 2040. Still, it is expected to account for less than 5% of the country’s total primary energy consumption by 2040.
The proposed standard will be a quality and performance filter for companies manufacturing or importing electrolysers. It will help differentiate high-efficiency, reliable products from subpar equipment, which is essential as India rolls out incentives under ₹19,744 crore National Green Hydrogen Mission.
“The standards will provide clarity for project developers and EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractors. With performance metrics such as specific energy consumption, Faraday efficiency and system efficiency now defined in standard units, developers will be able to forecast costs and system outputs more accurately, making their financial models more robust,” said a Delhi-based importer, who wished not to be named.
Local manufacturers may initially feel pressure to upgrade testing and calibration capabilities to comply, but in the long run, this will make them more competitive globally.
Moreover, the proposed standard focuses especially on safety, water use, and equipment life to ensure that electrolyser systems meet not just energy standards but also environmental and operational safety norms. This is especially crucial in water-stressed regions, where every litre used for hydrogen production needs to be accounted for.
Hydrogen is used in oil refineries to remove sulphur from fuels and in the production of ammonia for fertilizers. It is also an important feedstock for making methanol and is used in steelmaking as a reducing agent to replace coke. In the energy sector, hydrogen powers fuel cell vehicles such as cars, buses, trucks, trains and ships, and can also be used in stationary fuel cells for backup or off-grid electricity.
It is also blended into natural gas networks to lower carbon emissions and serves as a way to store excess renewable electricity for later use.
