Hydrogen in gas pipelines? India’s PNGRB, Germany’s DVGW sign key cooperation pact

India’s push to integrate green hydrogen into its energy mix gathered momentum on Monday with a new India–Germany cooperation agreement aimed at preparing the country’s natural gas infrastructure for the future. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Germany’s DVGW, a leading technical and scientific body for gas and water, to work together on regulation, standards and safety frameworks for hydrogen use in gas networks.

The agreement was exchanged at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar in the presence of Prime Minister and German Chancellor , underscoring the strategic importance both countries are attaching to clean energy cooperation. Indian Ambassador to Germany Ajit Vinayak Gupte and German Ambassador to India Dr Philipp Ackermann formally exchanged the MoU on behalf of the two institutions.

What the India–Germany MoU covers?

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The agreement between and establishes a non-binding framework for technical cooperation. While it does not impose legal obligations, it creates a structured pathway for both sides to work together through separately agreed work plans.

Standards, testing and certification at the core

A key element of the partnership is access to DVGW’s extensive technical rules and test principles, which are widely used across Europe. These will be studied and adapted for Indian operating conditions, with translation support where required.

The MoU also envisages hydrogen-ready certification and the creation of a supporting database of components and processes that are suitable for hydrogen service. This is expected to help pipeline operators, city gas distributors and equipment manufacturers make informed investment decisions.

Safety, leak detection and network simulations

Safety considerations feature prominently in the cooperation framework. The two sides will exchange best practices on odorisation, leak detection and safety methodologies, areas that are critical when dealing with hydrogen due to its different physical properties compared with natural gas.

Network simulation tools will also be developed and shared to study how hydrogen-natural gas blends behave under Indian network conditions.

Technical visits, expert exchanges and knowledge-sharing programmes are also part of the agreement. Where necessary, anonymised data may be shared, subject to confidentiality norms, with facilitation from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for areas beyond PNGRB’s current mandate.

Aligning with India’s Green Hydrogen ambitions

The cooperation fits into India’s broader clean energy strategy under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. Clause 6.4 of the mission recognises PNGRB’s role in developing a regulatory framework for hydrogen use in refineries and city gas distribution networks.

PNGRB has already begun preparatory work to assess how India’s vast natural gas infrastructure can be retrofitted or repurposed for hydrogen use over time.

Why this matters for India’s energy transition?

Hydrogen is expected to play a crucial role in decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors such as refining, fertilisers, steel and long-distance transport. At the same time, India’s large and diverse gas network provides a testing ground for solutions that could later be replicated in other emerging economies.

Officials involved in the initiative said the partnership reflects a shared recognition that regulation and standardisation must move in step with technology and investment if hydrogen is to become a mainstream fuel.