A National Hydrogen Mission has been announced by India to establish a roadmap for the use of hydrogen as an energy source. The plan has the ability to transform the transport system. In order to harness the energy potential of the most abundant element in the universe, hydrogen, India has traditionally made an uncharacteristically early entry into the race, a late mover in frontier electric vehicle technology. India launched a national hydrogen mission less than four months after the U.S. Energy Department announced an investment of up to $100 million in hydrogen production and research and development of fuel cell technologies.
The budget outline will be followed up by a mission draft in the next few months. The roadmap for the use of hydrogen as an energy source, with a particular emphasis on green hydrogen, combines the increasing renewable potential of India with the hydrogen economy, officials said. While the proposed end-use industries include steel and chemicals, transport, which contribute one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions and where hydrogen is seen as a direct replacement for fossil fuels, is the main industry that has the ability to turn hydrogen, with specific advantages over traditional EVs.
In a six-month pilot project, Delhi became the first Indian city to run hydrogen-powered compressed natural gas buses in October. The buses will be fuelled by a new technology patented by the Indian Oil Corporation to generate 18% H-CNG hydrogen directly from natural gas, without the use of traditional mixtures.
National Thermal Power Ltd. operates a pilot in Delhi to run 10 hydrogen fuel cell based electric buses and fuel cell electric cars and is considering for setting up a green hydrogen production facility in Andhra Pradesh. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd is also preparing to set up a dedicated hydrogen producing unit at its Faridabad center to operate buses.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a notice proposing changes to the Central Motor Vehicles Legislation, 1989, as a supportive legislative structure, to incorporate safety assessment requirements for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles late last year.
