Government Approves Five Pilot Projects for Hydrogen in Transport
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Synopsis
The Indian government has approved five pilot projects to deploy hydrogen technology in buses and trucks, advancing the National Green Hydrogen Mission. These projects involve 37 vehicles and 9 refueling stations across 10 routes nationwide, with an investment of Rs 208 crore.
Key Takeaways
- Five pilot projects approved for hydrogen use in transport.
- Involves 37 vehicles and 9 refueling stations.
- Expected operational in 18-24 months.
- Supports commercial viability of hydrogen technologies.
- Part of a broader National Green Hydrogen Mission.
New Delhi, March 4 (NationPress) In a significant advancement for the National Green Hydrogen Mission, the government has launched five pilot projects aimed at utilizing hydrogen in buses and trucks.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has released guidelines to facilitate these pilot projects within the transport sector as part of this initiative.
Upon thorough evaluation, the Ministry has approved five pilot projects encompassing a total of 37 vehicles (buses and trucks) along with 9 hydrogen refueling stations.
The trial will feature 15 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and 22 vehicles with hydrogen internal combustion engines.
These vehicles will operate on 10 distinct routes across the nation — Greater Noida–Delhi–Agra; Bhubaneshwar–Konark–Puri; Ahmedabad–Vadodara–Surat; Sahibabad–Faridabad–Delhi; Pune–Mumbai; Jamshedpur–Kalinga Nagar; Thiruvananthapuram–Kochi; Kochi–Edappally; Jamnagar–Ahmedabad; and NH-16 Visakhapatnam–Bayyavaram.
“These projects have been awarded to leading companies such as TATA Motors Ltd, Reliance Industries Limited, NTPC, ANERT, Ashok Leyland, HPCL, BPCL, and IOCL,” stated the ministry.
The total financial backing for these selected projects will be approximately Rs 208 crore from the government.
These pilot initiatives are expected to be operational in the next 18-24 months, laying the groundwork for the broader adoption of such technologies in India.
The Ministry emphasizes that the primary focus under this scheme is the development of commercially viable technologies for utilizing hydrogen as fuel in buses and trucks, alongside the necessary infrastructure like hydrogen refueling stations.
One of the key goals of the Mission is to facilitate the phased deployment of Green Hydrogen as fuel in buses and trucks on a pilot basis.
The National Green Hydrogen Mission was inaugurated on January 4, 2023, with a budget allocation of Rs 19,744 crore until FY 2029-30.
