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Q99 (IAS/2023) Science & Technology › New Materials, Energy & Environment-linked Tech › Hydrogen energy technologies Official Key

Consider the following heavy industries : 1. Fertilizer plants 2. Oil refineries 3. Steel plants Green hydrogen is expected to play a significant role in decarbonizing how many of the above industries?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: C
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 3 (All three). Green hydrogen, produced via electrolysis using renewable energy, is a cornerstone for decarbonizing "hard-to-abate" sectors where electrification is technically challenging.

  • Fertilizer plants: Currently, these plants use "grey hydrogen" derived from natural gas to produce ammonia. Green hydrogen can directly replace this as a sustainable feedstock for nitrogenous fertilizers.
  • Oil refineries: Refineries utilize vast quantities of hydrogen for desulphurization and hydrocracking. Shifting to green hydrogen significantly reduces the carbon footprint of fuel processing.
  • Steel plants: In the steel industry, green hydrogen acts as a reducing agent in the Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) process, replacing coal and coke, thereby emitting water vapor instead of CO2.

Given that all three industries are carbon-intensive and rely on hydrogen either as a feedstock or a reducing agent, green hydrogen is essential for their transition to net-zero emissions. Therefore, it plays a significant role in all three sectors.

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Q. Consider the following heavy industries : 1. Fertilizer plants 2. Oil refineries 3. Steel plants Green hydrogen is expected to play a s…
At a glance
Origin: From standard books Fairness: High fairness Books / CA: 10/10 · 0/10

This is a classic 'Government Mission + Application' question. Standard books (Singhania/Shankar) explicitly mention 'decarbonizing heavy industries' as the core goal of the National Hydrogen Mission. If you read the mission objectives, you solve this in 10 seconds.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Is green hydrogen expected to play a significant role in decarbonizing fertilizer plants?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 21: Sustainable Development and Climate Change > National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHM) - announced in Union Budget 2021-22 > p. 605
Presence: 4/5
“This mission will draw a roadmap for using Green Hydrogen as an energy source. It will focus on generation of hydrogen from green power resources. This Green Hydrogen Mission is crucial to decarbonise heavy industries and clean electric mobility. Hydrogen from renewable power is technically viable and it is vital for regional and national energy security. Green hydrogen energy is essential for India to meet its Nationally Determined Contributions.”
Why this source?
  • Specifies a Green Hydrogen Mission aimed to generate hydrogen from renewable power and use Green Hydrogen as an energy source.
  • Explicitly states Green Hydrogen is crucial to decarbonise heavy industries, linking the technology to industrial emissions reduction.
Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 22: Renewable Energy > Types Of Hydrogen Based On Extraction Methods > p. 298
Presence: 3/5
“zz,to,z, Types Of Hydrogen Based On Extraction Methods Depending on the nature of its extraction, hydrogen is categorized into three categories, namely, grey, blue and green. • Grey Hydrogen: it is produced via coal or lignite gasification {black orbrown}, or via a process called steam methane reformation (SMR) of natural gas or methane (grey). These tend to be mostly carbon-intensive processes. • Blue Hydrogen: It is produced via natural gas or coal gasification combined with carbon capture. storage (CCS) or carbon capture use (CCU) technologies to reduce carbon emissions. . Green Hydrogen: It is produced using electrolysis of water with electricity generated by renewable energy.”
Why this source?
  • Defines green hydrogen as hydrogen produced by electrolysis using renewable electricity, establishing it as a low‑carbon hydrogen source.
  • Provides the technical production route that can replace carbon‑intensive hydrogen used in industrial processes.
Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 25: Agriculture > Fertilizers > p. 363
Presence: 3/5
“Fertilizers are industrially manufactured chemical containing plant nutrients. Nutrient content is higher in fertilizers than organic matter, and nutrients are released almost immediately.”
Why this source?
  • Identifies fertilizers as industrially manufactured chemical products, situating fertilizer plants within heavy industry.
  • Implies fertilizer production is an industrial process that could be a candidate for feedstock and energy decarbonization.
Statement 2
Is green hydrogen expected to play a significant role in decarbonizing oil refineries?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 21: Sustainable Development and Climate Change > National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHM) - announced in Union Budget 2021-22 > p. 605
Presence: 5/5
“This mission will draw a roadmap for using Green Hydrogen as an energy source. It will focus on generation of hydrogen from green power resources. This Green Hydrogen Mission is crucial to decarbonise heavy industries and clean electric mobility. Hydrogen from renewable power is technically viable and it is vital for regional and national energy security. Green hydrogen energy is essential for India to meet its Nationally Determined Contributions.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states the Green Hydrogen Mission is crucial to decarbonise heavy industries.
  • Links green hydrogen to technical viability and national energy security, implying industry-scale deployment.
Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 22: Renewable Energy > Types Of Hydrogen Based On Extraction Methods > p. 298
Presence: 3/5
“zz,to,z, Types Of Hydrogen Based On Extraction Methods Depending on the nature of its extraction, hydrogen is categorized into three categories, namely, grey, blue and green. • Grey Hydrogen: it is produced via coal or lignite gasification {black orbrown}, or via a process called steam methane reformation (SMR) of natural gas or methane (grey). These tend to be mostly carbon-intensive processes. • Blue Hydrogen: It is produced via natural gas or coal gasification combined with carbon capture. storage (CCS) or carbon capture use (CCU) technologies to reduce carbon emissions. . Green Hydrogen: It is produced using electrolysis of water with electricity generated by renewable energy.”
Why this source?
  • Defines green hydrogen as produced by electrolysis using renewable electricity, clarifying its low‑carbon nature.
  • Contrasts green hydrogen with grey/blue hydrogen, highlighting its emission advantage for industrial use.
Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 22: Renewable Energy > Objectives > p. 297
Presence: 4/5
“v /ii1 • Make India a leading producer and supplier of Green Hydrogen in the world • Creation of export opportunities for Green Hydrogen and its derivatives • Reduction in dependence on imported fossil fuels and feedstock • Development of indigenous manufacturing capabilities • Attracting investment and business opportunities for the industry • Creating opportunities for employment and economic development • Supporting R&D projects”
Why this source?
  • Lists policy objectives to make India a leading producer and supplier of green hydrogen, supporting large‑scale adoption.
  • Emphasizes reduction in dependence on imported fossil fuels and support for R&D, enabling industrial decarbonization.
Statement 3
Is green hydrogen expected to play a significant role in decarbonizing steel plants?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 21: Sustainable Development and Climate Change > National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHM) - announced in Union Budget 2021-22 > p. 605
Presence: 5/5
“This mission will draw a roadmap for using Green Hydrogen as an energy source. It will focus on generation of hydrogen from green power resources. This Green Hydrogen Mission is crucial to decarbonise heavy industries and clean electric mobility. Hydrogen from renewable power is technically viable and it is vital for regional and national energy security. Green hydrogen energy is essential for India to meet its Nationally Determined Contributions.”
Why this source?
  • National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHM) will roadmap use of green hydrogen and focus on generation from renewable power.
  • NHM text describes green hydrogen as crucial for decarbonising heavy industries, linking it directly to industrial emissions reduction.
Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 22: Renewable Energy > Types Of Hydrogen Based On Extraction Methods > p. 298
Presence: 3/5
“zz,to,z, Types Of Hydrogen Based On Extraction Methods Depending on the nature of its extraction, hydrogen is categorized into three categories, namely, grey, blue and green. • Grey Hydrogen: it is produced via coal or lignite gasification {black orbrown}, or via a process called steam methane reformation (SMR) of natural gas or methane (grey). These tend to be mostly carbon-intensive processes. • Blue Hydrogen: It is produced via natural gas or coal gasification combined with carbon capture. storage (CCS) or carbon capture use (CCU) technologies to reduce carbon emissions. . Green Hydrogen: It is produced using electrolysis of water with electricity generated by renewable energy.”
Why this source?
  • Defines green hydrogen as produced via electrolysis using renewable electricity, establishing it as a low‑carbon hydrogen form.
  • Distinguishes green hydrogen from grey/blue variants, implying its suitability for deep decarbonization compared with carbon‑intensive production.
Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 22: Renewable Energy > Objectives > p. 297
Presence: 3/5
“v /ii1 • Make India a leading producer and supplier of Green Hydrogen in the world • Creation of export opportunities for Green Hydrogen and its derivatives • Reduction in dependence on imported fossil fuels and feedstock • Development of indigenous manufacturing capabilities • Attracting investment and business opportunities for the industry • Creating opportunities for employment and economic development • Supporting R&D projects”
Why this source?
  • Policy objectives include making India a leading producer and supporting R&D and deployment of green hydrogen.
  • Objectives aim to reduce dependence on fossil feedstocks, reinforcing a policy push for green hydrogen in industry decarbonization.
Pattern takeaway: UPSC rarely asks 'What is X?' for major technologies anymore; they ask 'Where is X applied?'. If a technology is a fuel or energy source, its application is usually broad across all energy-intensive sectors.
How you should have studied
  1. [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Directly covered in Shankar IAS (Ch 22) and Nitin Singhania (Ch 21) under National Hydrogen Mission objectives.
  2. [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: 'Hard-to-abate' sectors in Climate Change mitigation (sectors that cannot easily run on batteries).
  3. [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: 1. Hydrogen Colors: Grey (SMR), Blue (CCS), Turquoise (Pyrolysis), Pink (Nuclear). 2. India's Target: 5 MMT Green H2 by 2030. 3. SIGHT Scheme: Incentives for electrolyzers. 4. First movers: Fertilizer & Refinery (already use H2 as feedstock), Steel (uses H2 for direct reduction of iron).
  4. [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When studying a new technology (AI, Blockchain, Green H2), always map it to specific industries. Ask: 'Which sector needs this the most?' For H2, the answer is always heavy industry first, transport second.
Concept hooks from this question
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Green hydrogen production (electrolysis from renewables)
💡 The insight

Green hydrogen is produced by water electrolysis powered by renewable electricity, providing a low‑carbon hydrogen feedstock for industry.

High-yield for questions on energy transition and clean fuel technologies; links renewable electricity deployment with industrial decarbonization and greenhouse‑gas mitigation strategies. Enables answers on technological pathways (electrolysis) and policy levers (renewable scaling, missions).

📚 Reading List :
  • Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 22: Renewable Energy > Types Of Hydrogen Based On Extraction Methods > p. 298
🔗 Anchor: "Is green hydrogen expected to play a significant role in decarbonizing fertilize..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Green hydrogen for decarbonising heavy industry
💡 The insight

National-level green hydrogen planning highlights decarbonisation of heavy industries as a primary objective for the technology.

Important for questions on industrial policy, climate commitments and sectoral decarbonization (steel, chemicals, fertilizers). Helps connect missions/policy (NHM) to sectoral strategies and emissions reduction goals.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 21: Sustainable Development and Climate Change > National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHM) - announced in Union Budget 2021-22 > p. 605
  • Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 22: Renewable Energy > Objectives > p. 297
🔗 Anchor: "Is green hydrogen expected to play a significant role in decarbonizing fertilize..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Fertilizer plants as energy- and feedstock-intensive industry
💡 The insight

Fertilizers are industrially manufactured chemicals, implying reliance on significant energy and hydrogen feedstocks amenable to replacement by green hydrogen.

Useful for integrated questions linking agriculture, industry and energy policy (food security, import dependence, feedstock substitution). Enables arguments on why fertilizers are priority targets for industrial decarbonization measures.

📚 Reading List :
  • Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 25: Agriculture > Fertilizers > p. 363
  • Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 22: Renewable Energy > Objectives > p. 297
🔗 Anchor: "Is green hydrogen expected to play a significant role in decarbonizing fertilize..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Green hydrogen production & classification
💡 The insight

Green hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water using renewable electricity and is distinct from grey and blue hydrogen in emissions profile.

This is a core technical concept behind low‑carbon fuel strategies; it connects to renewable electricity, industrial fuel substitution, and climate mitigation questions frequently asked in UPSC. Mastery helps answer questions on technology choices and comparative emissions of hydrogen types.

📚 Reading List :
  • Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 22: Renewable Energy > Types Of Hydrogen Based On Extraction Methods > p. 298
🔗 Anchor: "Is green hydrogen expected to play a significant role in decarbonizing oil refin..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Green hydrogen for decarbonising heavy industries
💡 The insight

Green hydrogen is presented as crucial for decarbonising heavy industries, a category that includes oil refineries.

High‑yield for questions on sectoral decarbonization, industrial policy and meeting NDCs; links energy transition themes with manufacturing, petrochemicals and national energy security. Enables answers on how low‑carbon fuels can be applied across sectors.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 21: Sustainable Development and Climate Change > National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHM) - announced in Union Budget 2021-22 > p. 605
  • Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 22: Renewable Energy > Objectives > p. 297
🔗 Anchor: "Is green hydrogen expected to play a significant role in decarbonizing oil refin..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 National Hydrogen Energy Mission: policy objectives
💡 The insight

The Mission draws a roadmap for green hydrogen use, aims to build domestic production capacity, attract investment and support R&D to enable industrial deployment.

Important for questions on government missions, climate commitments and industrial strategy; shows how policy translates technology into large‑scale deployment and ties to related initiatives like alternative fuel (methanol) strategies.

📚 Reading List :
  • Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 21: Sustainable Development and Climate Change > National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHM) - announced in Union Budget 2021-22 > p. 605
  • Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 22: Renewable Energy > Objectives > p. 297
  • Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 21: Sustainable Development and Climate Change > Methanol Economy > p. 604
🔗 Anchor: "Is green hydrogen expected to play a significant role in decarbonizing oil refin..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S3
👉 Green hydrogen production via electrolysis
💡 The insight

Green hydrogen is produced by water electrolysis using renewable electricity, making it a low‑carbon alternative to fossil‑derived hydrogen.

High-yield for questions on energy transition and industrial decarbonization; links technical production methods to policy choices and feasibility assessments. Enables comparison of hydrogen 'colors' and suitability for heavy industries.

📚 Reading List :
  • Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 22: Renewable Energy > Types Of Hydrogen Based On Extraction Methods > p. 298
🔗 Anchor: "Is green hydrogen expected to play a significant role in decarbonizing steel pla..."
🌑 The Hidden Trap

The 'Green Hydrogen Consumption Obligation' (GHCO). The government specifically plans to mandate a fixed percentage of green hydrogen use in Fertilizer and Oil Refining sectors first, as they are currently the largest consumers of grey hydrogen.

⚡ Elimination Cheat Code

The 'Universal Applicability of Energy' Rule. Hydrogen is a fuel and a reducing agent. Fertilizer, Refineries, and Steel are the top 3 energy/chemical intensive industries. Unless there is a specific chemical incompatibility (which there isn't), a new clean fuel *will* be expected to play a role in all major heavy industries. Choose 'All three'.

🔗 Mains Connection

Connects GS-3 (Energy Security) with GS-3 (Environment). Green Hydrogen is India's dual-use tool: it reduces the fossil fuel import bill (Economic Sovereignty) while meeting the Panchamrit goals (Net Zero by 2070).

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