By Ifham Nizam
Sri Lanka is stepping up efforts to develop the technical expertise required to enter the emerging green hydrogen economy, with four state universities joining an international collaboration to introduce a specialised Master’s degree programme in Hydrogen Enabling Technologies.
The initiative, supported by the European Union (EU), is expected to strengthen the country’s academic, institutional and technical capacity to explore green hydrogen and green ammonia as potential components of its future energy mix, while opening opportunities in emerging domestic and export markets.
The launch of the international collaboration project, GREEN-HET, took place in Colombo, November 10, with Energy Minister Anura Karunatilaka attending as chief guest. Energy Ministry Secretary Russell Aponso, Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority chairman Prof. Wijendra J. Bandara and Ceylon Petroleum Corporation chairman D. J. Rajakaruna were among those present, alongside EU representatives, academic partners and stakeholders from government, industry and the wider community.
The proposed postgraduate programme will be jointly developed and delivered by the Universities of Moratuwa, Peradeniya, Ruhuna and Jaffna, bringing together academic expertise from across the country to build a specialised knowledge base in hydrogen-related technologies.
The Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL), which coordinates the GREEN-HET project, will work with the Sri Lankan universities and other European academic partners in developing the programme.
The three-year initiative is funded through the European Union’s Capacity Building in Higher Education programme. Its European consortium also includes the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, OTH Regensburg University of Applied Sciences in Germany, and Virumaa College of Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia.
The collaboration comes at a time when green hydrogen is attracting growing international attention as countries seek alternatives to conventional fossil fuels and accelerate their transitions towards low-carbon energy systems.
For Sri Lanka, the initiative has particular significance given the country’s considerable renewable energy potential, including solar and wind resources, which could provide the electricity required for producing green hydrogen through electrolysis.
Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity generated from renewable sources. Unlike hydrogen produced from fossil fuels, this process can significantly reduce carbon emissions when the entire production chain is powered by clean energy.
The GREEN-HET project is aligned with priorities identified in Sri Lanka’s National Green Hydrogen Policy and National Hydrogen Roadmap. These include assessing the potential of renewable energy resources for green hydrogen and green ammonia production, strengthening energy security and exploring opportunities in both domestic and international markets.
