Industry partnerships
Co-develop, pilot and adopt demonstrable, scalable green hydrogen technologies with industry partners.
What we set out to do
Research, development and techno-economic innovation across the complete value chain of an integrated green hydrogen ecosystem.
Objectives
- Develop demonstrable and scalable technologies
- Prototype green hydrogen (GH₂) generation
- Create new technologies for hydrogen storage and distribution
- Integrate systems for hydrogen generation and application
- Enable green hydrogen utilization
Strengths
- Multidisciplinary experts in ECOGEN, with experts from 6 academic departments
- Industry partners and start-ups
- Research, innovative design and development
- Knowledge dissemination programs
- IP generation and technology transfer
Centre of Excellence on
Innovative & Integrated ECOsystem for Green HydroGEN (ECOGEN)
Research, Development and Techno-economic Innovation Activities for Complete Value Chain of Integrated Green Hydrogen Ecosystem
WP 1: Green H₂ Generation
WP 1.1: Electrolysis
WP 1.2: Photocatalysis
WP 1.3: Thermochemical
WP 2: H₂ Storage & Distribution
WP 2.1: Inexpensive materials for large scale storage
WP 2.2: On-site hydrogen regeneration by ammonia cracking
WP 3: System Integration
WP 3.1: Multiport PECs for hydrogen generation integration
WP 3.2: PECs for hydrogen application integration
WP 4: H₂ Utilization
WP 4.1: Polymer electrolyte FC
WP 4.2: Solid Oxide FC
WP 5: Knowledge Dissemination
Knowledge dissemination programsIP generation and technology transferTraining and outreach
One platform, five stages
India’s green hydrogen journey, from laboratory research to field deployment and market readiness.
- Laboratory researchFundamental research, material discovery, simulation and analysis.
- Technology developmentPrototyping, scale-up testing and performance optimization.
- System integrationGeneration, storage, distribution and application systems working together.
- Field deploymentPilot projects, demonstration and real-world implementation.
- Market readinessPolicy, commercialization, price alignment and global competitiveness.
Why green hydrogen needs research
Made by splitting water with renewable energy, green H₂ is clean. Making it cheap is the open problem.
Reliable energy source
Renewable-based supply cuts dependence on fossil fuels and gives a stable source of energy.
Long-term storage
Can be stored in large amounts for a long time, unlike batteries.
Economic growth
Green H₂ from waste biomass creates a revenue stream for local communities.
Reduced pollution
Electrolysis of water with renewable energy is free of carbon emissions and pollution.
Local production
Can be produced locally, cutting costly and environmentally damaging imports.
The challenge
Expensive to produce: almost three times the cost of natural gas.
Research and innovation are needed to make green H₂ cheaper to generate and easier to adopt.
Major Research Areas
Five focus areas across the green hydrogen value chain. Pick one to see its sub-areas.
Novel Technologies for Green H₂ Ecosystem under CoE
From renewable power to usable energy, tied together by system integration. Tap a picture to enlarge.
WP1Green Hydrogen Generation
WP2Hydrogen Storage & Distribution
WP4Hydrogen Utilization
WP3System Integration
Multiport power electronic converters linking solar, wind, battery, electrolyser and storage.
Low cost generationLow-cost, highly efficient electrolyzers
Large scale seasonal storageInexpensive materials for large-scale storage
Efficient utilizationLow-cost PEM and indigenous solid oxide fuel cells
Social awareness and skill developmentKnowledge dissemination
Novel technologies under the CoE
The four technology areas the centre builds on.
Green hydrogen generation
Electrolysis, thermochemical and photocatalysis routes.
Storage and distribution
H₂ storage materials and ammonia (NH₃) cracking for on-site H₂.
System integration
Multiport power electronic converters linking solar, wind, battery, electrolyser and storage.
Hydrogen utilization
Low-temperature and high-temperature fuel cells.
Watch and follow
A closer look at ECOGEN: the centre’s video and its latest update.
Major research areas of Department of SEE in renewable energy sector
Overview of proposed research activities in CoE-ECOGEN (Hindi voiceover)
Overview of proposed research activities in CoE-ECOGEN (English voiceover)
Fuji Hydrogen Summit 2026, Yamanashi, Japan
The Government of Uttar Pradesh delegation, led by Shri Awanish Kumar Awasthi, Advisor to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, participated in the Fuji Hydrogen Summit 2026, held in Yamanashi, Japan. The delegation comprised Shri Ranvir Prasad, Principal Secretary, Additional Sources of Energy and Chairman, UPNEDA; Shri Anuj Singh, Special Secretary to the Hon’ble Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh; and Shri Ravinder Singh, Director, UPNEDA, Prof. Prabodh Bajpai, Principal Investigator, CoE, Prof. Laltu Chandra, Department of Sustainable Energy Engineering, IIT Kanpur.
The people behind ECOGEN
Multidisciplinary experts in ECOGEN
Collaboration
ECOGEN works with industry, start-ups and institutions to take green hydrogen technologies from the lab to the field.
Start-ups & technology transfer
IP generation and technology transfer to take innovations from prototype to market.
Joint research
Collaborative projects across generation, storage, system integration and utilization of hydrogen.
Training & outreach
Short-term courses, certification programs, conferences, exhibitions and workshops with stakeholders.
Interested in working with ECOGEN?
Start a collaborationWrite to us with your idea, and we will connect you with the right team.
Contact Us
Questions about the centre, research areas, training programs or visits? Get in touch.
Address
Centre of Excellence, ECOGEN
Department of Sustainable Energy Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Kalyanpur, Kanpur – 208016
Uttar Pradesh, India
Principal Investigator
Prof. Prabodh Bajpai
Principal Investigator, CoE-ECOGEN
Quick links
Know more about our institute and supporters.
IIT KanpurSEEKSSUPNEDA