UP, Japan’s Yamanashi Prefecture discuss green hydrogen, clean energy collaboration

In a major step towards deepening international cooperation in clean energy, Invest UP hosted a high-level roundtable meeting with a delegation from Japan’s Yamanashi Prefecture, currently on an official visit to Uttar Pradesh.

The meeting was chaired by Deepak Kumar, Infrastructure & Industrial Development Commissioner (IIDC), Government of Uttar Pradesh, and attended by senior state government officials. Discussions focused on long-term collaboration in green hydrogen, renewable energy, and the broader clean energy ecosystem.

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During the interaction, the IIDC outlined Uttar Pradesh’s robust policy framework, including the IIEPP Policy 2022, the UP FDI/FCI Fortune Global 500 Policy 2023, and 34 sector-specific policies offering competitive incentives. He highlighted the state’s strong infrastructure, large domestic market, and proactive governance, positioning Uttar Pradesh as a preferred destination for global clean energy investments.

Building on these discussions, UP expressed readiness to collaborate with the Government of Yamanashi to establish two Centers of Excellence (CoEs) under the Uttar Pradesh Green Hydrogen Policy-2024. These CoEs will focus on research, innovation, skill development, and indigenous manufacturing across the green hydrogen value chain.

Under the proposed plan, IIT Kanpur and Harcourt Butler Technical University (HBTU) will jointly establish a CoE at the HBTU Kanpur campus. The second CoE will be set up at the Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology (MMMUT), Gorakhpur, in collaboration with IIT (BHU) Varanasi. Other reputed technical institutions will also be associated with the initiative. Strong industry participation will be encouraged to ensure commercialization, pilot projects, and real-world deployment of technologies.

Addressing the roundtable, Junichi Ishidera, Vice Governor of Yamanashi Prefectural Government, noted the strong potential for collaboration with Uttar Pradesh in the green hydrogen sector, with particular interest in projects in the Noida region. He announced plans to host a Green Hydrogen Summit in Yamanashi to further advance cooperation in clean energy and advanced technologies, and formally invited the Uttar Pradesh government to participate.

The Vice Governor also expressed optimism about the proposed visit of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh to Japan in February, terming it a key milestone in strengthening ties across investment, innovation, and sustainable development. The Yamanashi delegation shared plans to bring a 200-member delegation of Japanese CEOs to Uttar Pradesh in August 2026 to further boost investment engagement and expressed keen interest in expediting the green hydrogen CoE as a pilot initiative. During the meeting, Kandevia Corporation also conveyed interest in setting up a green hydrogen plant of up to 1 GW capacity in western Uttar Pradesh.

As a gesture of goodwill, the IIDC presented an ODOP memento to the delegation, symbolising Uttar Pradesh’s commitment to sustainable growth and global partnerships.