Hydrogen Energy Storage System for the Electricity Demand of 2028–2030 in India

India needs to enhance its electricity grid to integrate 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030. Long-durational energy storage systems are crucial for managing the fluctuations and intermittency of renewables while maintaining grid stability. Hydrogen energy storage system is the most durable, proven and globally established long-durational energy storage system for electricity grid applications. Therefore, the primary aim of this manuscript is to determine the optimum over-generation requirement and minimum net present value of the cost needed to develop and integrate a hydrogen energy storage system into the Indian National Electricity Grid for supplementing the electricity demand of 2028–2030. The novelty of this manuscript is the application of minimum hourly slack power criteria to determine the techno-economic feasibility and schedule of the hydrogen energy storage system. The results conclude that 14,819.59 bn INR at 2.88 INR/kWh and 8.52% over-generation is required to develop 616.67 GWh of hydrogen energy storage in India for satisfying the electricity demand of 2028–2030. The research presented in this manuscript can assist Indian policymakers in reassessing, planning, referencing, and formulating future energy storage policies for grid-scale hydrogen energy storage systems in India and abroad for a smoother and cheaper transition towards a net zero future.