Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], January 12 : The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), and DVGW - German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday to establish a framework for cooperation on hydrogen integration in natural gas infrastructure.
The MoU, exchanged by Ajit Vinayak Gupte, Ambassador of India to Germany and Dr. Philipp Ackermann, German Ambassador to India, in the presence of the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, is intended to support evidence-based regulation and standardisation, initially for hydrogen blending and progressively for 100% hydrogen applications, subject to statutory mandate.
It is a non-binding framework with specific activities to be pursued through separately agreed workplans/arrangements.
Key technical workstreams and deliverables envisaged access to relevant DVGW technical rules/test principles (with translation support where required) and standards adoption/adaptation for Indian operating conditions; a Hydrogen Readiness Testing Scheme (HRTS) (materials, component/loop tests, field pilots); Hydrogen-ready certification and a supporting database of suitable components/processes; Network simulation tools for blends (up to ~20% initially) with a roadmap towards 100% hydrogen.
Exchange of practices on odorisation, leak detection and safety methodologies, along with technical exchanges/visits as appropriate is also a crucial deliverable.
Technical visits/knowledge exchange and, where required, anonymised data sharing, subject to confidentiality and facilitation through MNRE for matters beyond PNGRB's current remit.
PNGRB has initiated work to facilitate future readiness of India's natural gas infrastructure, with a focus on hydrogen blending with natural gas and progressive retrofitment/repurposing of gas systems.
Clause 6.4 of the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) recognises PNGRB's role in facilitating a regulatory framework for hydrogen use in Refineries and City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks. PNGRB has also conveyed suggestions for amendments to the PNGRB Act, 2006 to explicitly include hydrogen transportation through pipelines and hydrogen-natural gas blends, to enable regulatory clarity as hydrogen pipeline deployment emerges.