NEW DELHI: Hardeep Singh Puri, the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, inaugurated the nation’s inaugural Green Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus at Kartavya Path in Delhi on September 25. During the inauguration, the Minister emphasized that India is taking a significant step towards embracing green mobility.
Green hydrogen, generated from renewable energy sources, has the potential to play a pivotal role in forging low-carbon and self-sufficient economic pathways, the Minister added. The launch of the first set of two fuel cell buses on September 25, 2023, marks a significant milestone in this endeavor.
This program represents India’s inaugural initiative to distribute green hydrogen at 350 bar pressure for powering fuel cell buses.
The Minister’s press release highlighted that green hydrogen has the capacity to replace fossil fuel-derived feedstocks in industries such as petroleum refining, fertilizer production, and steel manufacturing. Fuel cell technology, fueled by hydrogen, is emerging as a crucial component of the e-mobility landscape. In a fuel cell, an electrochemical reaction converts hydrogen at the anode and oxygen from the air at the cathode into water, releasing electrical energy in the form of electrons. Hydrogen gas is typically stored onboard in cylinders at a pressure of 350 bar.
Indian Oil Corporation and Tata Motors have collaborated to develop fuel cells for buses. The research team informed that the data collected from rigorous trials will serve as a national repository, shaping the future of zero-emission mobility in India, driven by green hydrogen.
This significant step underscores India’s commitment to sustainable and eco-friendly transportation solutions. Notably, while diesel buses usually have a fuel efficiency of 2.5-3 km per liter, one kilogram of hydrogen can provide a fuel efficiency of about 12 kilometers.
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