The India-Australia Green Hydrogen Taskforce has released its recommendation report dated July 2025, establishing a framework for tangible, measurable, and realistic collaboration to accelerate the growth of the green hydrogen industries in both nations. The Taskforce, convened at the request of Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Albanese, involved hydrogen experts from research and development, the private sector, and financial consulting.
The report prioritizes five key areas for focus over the near term (next five years), utilizing Australia’s innovation and India’s manufacturing capabilities to address the daunting task of scaling green hydrogen production and use for global emissions reduction. This collaborative effort is supported by both the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Hydrogen Technology and Manufacturing (Priority 1)
The Taskforce’s top priority focuses on reducing the high costs associated with hydrogen production and delivery.
The report recommends facilitating electrolyser co-development and technology translation, leveraging Australia’s innovation and India’s strong manufacturing base. Reducing electrolyser capital expenditure is critical to the commercial viability of hydrogen production projects in both countries.
Recommendations seek to accelerate the co-development and commercialization of hydrogen storage technologies, particularly low-cost high-pressure hydrogen tanks and emerging liquid hydrogen storage technologies. This collaboration would utilize Australia’s expertise in composite technology (like carbon fiber) and India’s large-scale manufacturing capacity.
Green Minerals and Metals (Priority 2)
Collaboration will focus on strengthening industrial value chains to support deep decarbonization, particularly strengthening the industrial hydrogen value chains in sectors like iron, steel, alumina, and aluminum.
The Taskforce recommends supporting the development of green iron and steel value chains through joint pilot projects, building on the existing India-Australia Green Steel Partnership. Hydrogen is seen as a key reducing agent to replace fossil fuels in Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) production.
Collaboration is advised for the green alumina and aluminum sectors, where hydrogen is being explored as a decarbonization pathway for the emission-intensive alumina refining step.
Green Fuels and Supply Chains (Priority 3)
Collaboration in this area targets the displacement of fossil fuels in marine and chemical sectors.
Collaborative projects are encouraged to displace fossil fuel-based methanol production with green fuels based on methanol and its derivatives (such as Dimethyl Ether/DME). This includes technology transfer from India to Australia on bio-methanol and joint supply chain modeling.
The Taskforce recommends supporting analysis underpinning enabling infrastructure for green shipping fuels (including ammonia and liquid hydrogen). Collaboration through “Port roundtables” is proposed to share best practices on safety, standards, and regulatory aspects for bunkering.
Skills, Workforce, and Knowledge Sharing (Priorities 4 and 5)
The final priorities focus on establishing the necessary human and regulatory infrastructure:
The report recommends facilitating joint programs for skills development and training in hydrogen technologies, including expanding mobility arrangements. The Australian MATES visa scheme, allowing Indian graduates to work in Australia’s renewable sector for up to two years, is highlighted as a mechanism to be leveraged.
The Taskforce emphasized supporting knowledge sharing initiatives in the areas of policy, standards, and regulation to accelerate the uptake of best practices. This aims to promote interoperability and hydrogen certification through policy roundtables.
Collaboration is also focused on joint design/development of research databases and funding bilateral research conferences to connect researchers and stimulate innovation.