IEW 2026: Green Hydrogen needs better storage to scale in India, says KonveGas CEO
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As India looks to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and increase domestic clean energy production, keeping in line with its vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047 and achieving Net Zero by 2070, Green Hydrogen has emerged as a clean, scalable fuel alternative.
The country has already launched the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) in 2023 to establish a Green Hydrogen ecosystem and in April 2025, the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India (GHCI) was launched, marking a giant stride towards its goal. Taking another step further, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), in October, announced the recognition of three major ports Deendayal Port Authority (Gujarat), V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (Tamil Nadu), and Paradip Port Authority (Odisha) as Green Hydrogen Hubs under the NGHM.
These coastal gateways will serve as integrated centres for production, consumption, and future export as India targets 5 MMT of Green Hydrogen production annually by 2030. While Green Hydrogen is the centrepiece of the energy transition, an expert from Sweden feels India still has to address its storage problems.
Speaking exclusively to Connected to India’s Sudipto Maity ahead of the India Energy Week, Alexander Enulescu, the Chief Executive Officer of KonveGas Sweden AB, said, “Storage is the primary bottleneck.”. The Swedish company is one of the 700 plus companies who will be exhibiting their products at the mega energy event, scheduled to take place in Goa from January 27-30, 2026.
KonveGas designs and manufactures Type 4 glass fiber composite cylinders. So, what is it really and how is it related to Green Hydrogen? A Type 4 glass fiber composite cylinder is a lightweight, high pressure gas tank. It has a gas tight plastic liner on the inside that holds the gas, and a high strength composite shell on the outside that carries the pressure. It is used for storing CNG and biogas on vehicles, and for hydrogen storage solutions where weight, safety and long service life.
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According to Enulescu, KonveGas’ Type 4 glass fiber composite cylinders can be a game changer in India. “First, they enable clean mobility and storage at scale. Type IV cylinders are a key enabler for expanding CNG/CBG vehicle fleets and for hydrogen applications where weight, safety and lifetime performance matter,” he said.
“Second, they align with a circular and resilient model by enabling local sourcing and local production, reducing dependency on imported critical materials. Glass fibre can typically be sourced and processed locally in India, enabling a more resilient supply chain, whereas carbon fibre is often imported and therefore increases dependency on external suppliers. Which reduces import dependency and vulnerability in critical global situations. That supports stronger domestic value creation and more predictable cost structures.
“Third, the technology is designed to be scalable for local manufacturing. Our approach is built for industrialisation, allowing production in India with local partners, local processes and local QA systems, while aligning with international standards and proven cylinder performance,” he added.
The CEO is also keen on the Modi admin’s ‘Make In India’ campaign. Enulescu said his company wants to set up local manufacturing of Type IV glass fiber cylinders in the country to “help enable a cost effective, safe rollout of clean gases across mobility and storage, with lower lifecycle impact and lower total cost of ownership across the gas supply chain”.
However, he’s also aware of the challenges that lay ahead. According to the KonveGas CEO, “Indian OEMs typically prefer to work with a local partner.” During his last visit to India in September to take part in the Mobility Summit in New Delhi, Enulescu met with several OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and companies. “It is difficult to initiate new collaborations, as many companies prefer to continue working with partners they already know,” he said.
That said, he’s excited to be a part of the upcoming event, which, though still young, has already made a name for itself in the global energy calendar. “IEW 2026 will be our first time, and we look forward to being part of the event and building a long-term presence for the coming years,” Enulescu said.
“India Energy Week provides a high-level platform to meet the full Indian energy ecosystem in one place, including policymakers, CGD companies, OEMs, infrastructure players and project developers. For KonveGas, it is a strong opportunity to present Type IV glass fibre cylinder technology, build local partnerships for Make in India manufacturing,” he added. “The scale of the Indian market and the simultaneous focus on both biogas and hydrogen make it unique. IEW focuses on actionable projects, such as large-scale transportation of green gases, where our lightweight technology is most impactful.”
“We expect to meet decision makers across the clean mobility and gas infrastructure ecosystem, including OEMs, CNG CBG and hydrogen refuelling station and equipment providers, logistics and module integrators, and potential manufacturing partners. Our focus is to exchange ideas, build partnerships, and present KonveGas’ Type IV cylinders as a future ready solution for both mobility and storage applications,” he said when asked about his expectations from IEW 2026.
Asked what makes KonveGas stand out in the market, the CEO listed three markers: New standards, intelligent materials and uncompromised quality.
“We see a trend where new Type IV factories in India are being launched with carbon fibre as the default choice. In our view, this can miss the opportunity to build a circular and resilient industry based on more localisable material choices. Many designs also mirror legacy concepts that have existed for decades, with limited innovation beyond switching the fibre. KonveGas’ approach is to move the industry forward through material strategy, design know how, and validated engineering, rather than relying on carbon fibre as the only answer, while also reducing the overall CO2 footprint through a more sustainable material selection,” he said.
“Our cylinders are built around high performance glass fibre composites that are non corrosive, durable in real world service, and designed for long life and stable performance. This is especially relevant for large scale deployment where robustness and predictable lifetime behaviour matter as much as weight.
“High strength glass fibre enables a more cost efficient Type IV solution while maintaining the same fundamental safety principles expected for modern CNG and hydrogen storage. It also supports a more localisable supply chain compared to carbon fibre, reducing dependency on imported critical materials and enabling scalable “Make in India” manufacturing,” he added.
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