Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) releases draft framework to quantify offsite water drawal and treatment emissions for compliance with India’s green hydrogen certification scheme.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has released draft guidelines to establish a mandatory framework for quantifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from offsite water drawal and treatment in green hydrogen production. This initiative is part of the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India (GHCI), launched in April 2025, which specifies detailed methodologies for measurement, reporting, onsite verification, and certification of green hydrogen. The framework ensures India’s green hydrogen certification aligns with ISO 19870:2023 standards and promotes uniform emission accounting across projects. MNRE has invited comments from stakeholders, including green hydrogen producers and renewable energy industry associations, by March 13, 2026, via email.
Under GHCI, emissions from direct drawal of water from natural sources such as rivers, groundwater, or seawater are excluded, while offsite water treatment emissions must be counted in the total GHG intensity of hydrogen. The guidelines follow a ‘well-to-gate’ approach, covering emissions up to hydrogen compression and onsite storage. Producers operating dedicated offsite desalination or treatment plants must calculate emissions using primary data, including electricity consumption and chemical usage. Grid-powered facilities will use the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) grid emission factor and state-specific transmission and distribution losses.
Renewable-powered plants may claim zero emissions with verified documentation. For water sourced from public utilities, a default emission factor applies unless the supply is certified as fully renewable. In shared treatment facilities, emissions are allocated proportionally to each producer’s water offtake. Only incremental energy for polishing recycled or tertiary-treated wastewater is counted, while municipal sewage treatment is excluded. Projects using multiple sources must maintain source-wise records and calculate a weighted average emission factor. MNRE has proposed default benchmarks based on the latest CEA grid emission factor (0.710 kg CO₂e/kWh) and 17.63 percent transmission and distribution losses: municipal water supply (0.603 kg CO₂e/m³), seawater desalination (3.017 kg CO₂e/m³), and recycled water polishing (0.388 kg CO₂e/m³).
The ministry also allows a conservative approach for data failures, applying the highest benchmark during meter or reporting issues. This move aims to strengthen environmental integrity in India’s green hydrogen sector by ensuring all water-related emissions are quantified and certified accurately.
Source: https://tinyurl.com/yvu35z9a
