Denmark has launched its Green Fuels Alliance India (GFAI) initiative in a bid to boost collaborative efforts between the two countries in the sustainable energy solutions sector and advance their joint global goal towards carbon neutrality.
Led by the Danish Embassy and the Consulate General of Denmark in India, the new alliance is a strategic initiative poised to play a pivotal role in advancing the Green Fuels sector, including Green Hydrogen, by fostering innovation, collaboration, and partnerships between Danish industries and their counterparts in India. GFAI’s primary objective is to promote sustainable energy growth in India by establishing an ecosystem that encourages collaboration among businesses, government entities, research institutions, and financial stakeholders from both the Indian and Danish sectors.
Nine pioneering Danish organisations have already committed to the GFAI initiative as founding members including Maersk, Topsoe, Umwelt Energy, Mash Makes, European Sustainable Solutions, Novozymes, Danfoss, Brdr. Christensen and Hydrogen Denmark. Meanwhile, the GFAI advisory board members include India Hydrogen Alliance, Energy Consortium at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, the Danish Energy Agency and State of Green.
The GFAI announcement comes as India pushes towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2070. Meanwhile, Denmark has topped the global Climate Performance Ranking 2024 and is on the path to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The GFAI is demonstrative of activities under the Green Strategic Partnership (GSP) signed in 2020 between India and Denmark that seek to meet the partner countries’ ambitious climate targets.
Key features of the GFAI include:
- A Steering Committee comprising Danish businesses and coordinated by the Secretariat at the Danish Consulate in Bangalore.
- An advisory Board comprising industry experts and thought leaders that will ensure the initiatives remain innovative and aligned with industry trends.
- Inspired by Collaborative Initiatives such as the India-Denmark Energy Partnership, the Nation Green Hydrogen Mission, and joint R&D efforts on Green Fuels, including Green Hydrogen
Morten Bo Christiansen, Head of Energy Transition, A.P. Moller–Maersk said: “The availability of green energy and green fuel in sufficient quantities at cost-competitive price levels is the single largest challenge to the global shipping’s net-zero journey. India has excellent conditions for renewable energy production and ambitions to be a global leader in the green energy value chain. Drawing on our more than 100 years of business relations with the nation, we are very excited to join the involved Indian and Danish stakeholders as a founding member of GFAI.”
Maersk has set a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target for 2040 across the entire business and has also set tangible and ambitious near-term targets for 2030 to ensure significant progress.
Jillian Evanko, President and CEO, Chart Industries and Founding Member, India Hydrogen Alliance (IH2A), said: “We look forward to working with the Danish Government and Industry to support offtake and trade in hydrogen, hydrogen derivates and e-fuels. Maritime transport decarbonisation is a key use-case for green hydrogen and we look forward to supporting this initiative that hopes to accelerate large offtake volumes of hydrogen derivatives and e-fuels from and in India. Long term offtake agreements are important to create the hydrogen economy in India.”
