India, Germany mark 20 years of energy forum, eye green hydrogen as next frontier

NEW DELHI: India and Germany celebrated 20 years of energy cooperation on Tuesday, with officials from both countries saying green hydrogen and clean industrial value chains would shape the next phase of the partnership.

The anniversary of the Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF) was marked at an evening reception at the German Embassy in New Delhi under the theme “Navigating from Past to Present, with Optimism for the Future”.

The forum was established in April 2006 by then German Chancellor Angela Merkel and then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Hannover Trade Fair.

“The Indo-German Energy Forum has become a true success story: from helping India’s power plants integrate more renewable energy, to advancing energy efficiency, battery storage and green hydrogen,” German Ambassador to India Jasper Wieck said.

“But above all, the Indo-German Energy Forum has built something that cannot be measured in megawatts or euros alone: mutual trust, strong networks and the ability to get things done together,” he said.

IGEF is anchored by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and India’s Ministry of Power. Its annual high-level steering body is co-chaired at secretary level.

The forum works through five subgroups: flexibilisation of existing thermal power plants, renewable energies, energy efficiency, green energy financing and grid integration, and green hydrogen.

Officials said the focus was now shifting from pilot projects to policy and large-scale trade.

“Green hydrogen is the natural next frontier for the Indo-German Energy Forum,” said Gunther Grathwohl, head of division for international hydrogen ramp-up at the German ministry.

“By aligning regulatory standards, connecting industrial clusters and de-risking investments, Germany and India are building the framework for large-scale, sustainable energy trade,” he said.

The two governments launched an Indo-German Green Hydrogen Roadmap at the 7th India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations on Oct. 25, 2024, with inputs from a joint task force supported by IGEF.

Wieck said the ambition was to move beyond expanding renewable energy capacity.

“I believe the most exciting chapters of our energy partnership are still ahead of us. Our ambition is to work with our Indian partners not only to expand renewable energy, but also to build the industries and value chains of the future,” he said.

A fireside chat with industry executives who have worked with the forum traced the shift from early software pilots to shaping national policy on thermal plant flexibilisation and agri-photovoltaics.

Panellists said the next phase would require institutional frameworks for intellectual property sharing, domestic testing infrastructure and scalable commercial business models.

The IGEF Support Office, funded by Germany and jointly managed by development agency GIZ and development bank KfW together with India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency, serves as the forum’s secretariat.