Kanpur: In a major boost to clean energy research and industrial innovation, under the Uttar Pradesh Green Hydrogen Policy–2024, the govt of Uttar Pradesh has approved the establishment of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Green Hydrogen, jointly by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and Harcourt Butler Technical University (HBTU). The approval was granted by the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) following the recommendation of the State-Level Selection Committee.The Centre will be established through a joint collaborative model involving IIT-K and HBTU, Kanpur. It will operate from the campuses of IIT-K and HBTU, jointly with the shared infrastructure, laboratories, and equipment. As per the approved framework, the Centre will have Prabodh Bajpai from the department of Sustainable Energy Engineering, IIT-K, as the Nodal in-charge and Prof G L Devnani from the department of Chemical Engineering, HBTU, as the Co-In-charge. The facilities developed under the Centre will be jointly utilised by both the institutes and the projects under the Centre will be led and co-les from both IIT-K and HBTU.The Centre will prioritise research and development focused on green hydrogen production, storage, transportation, safety standards, testing, demonstrations, and industrial use. Special emphasis will be on applied research and technological solutions for industries such as refineries, fertilisers, transportation, manufacturing, and energy systems.The Centre of Excellence will serve as a common facility hub for engineering colleges, universities, and research institutions across the state enabling access to advanced testing, research, and development infrastructure in the green hydrogen domain. The Centre is expected to facilitate the incubation of a minimum of 50 startups registered in Uttar Pradesh over five years. In addition, the Centre will organise training programmes, workshops, seminars, technology demonstrations, and capacity-building initiatives for students, researchers, industry professionals, and govt stakeholders. The establishment of this Centre of Excellence marks a significant step towards positioning Uttar Pradesh as a leading hub for green hydrogen innovation and industrial adoption. By fostering research, startups, and industry collaboration, the initiative is expected to accelerate the clean energy transition, reduce carbon emissions, attract investments, and generate employment opportunities across the state.
