New Delhi: Flagging-off Delhi’s first Green Hydrogen fuel cell bus from Kartavya Path, New Delhi, on Monday, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said that the success of Green Hydrogen projects can turn India from a net importer of energy to an exporter. “Success of this project can catapult India from being net importer of fossil energy to becoming net exporter of clean hydrogen energy,” said the minister. Rameswar Teli, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Pankaj Jain, Secretary, MoP&NG, SM Vaidya, Chairman, Indian Oil, were also present on the occasion.
Complimenting the industry and the government’s collaboration for presenting India on the global platform as a hub for cleaner technologies, Puri said, “We were privy to the launch of the world’s first BS-VI (Stage II) Electrified Flex Fuel vehicle prototype that encompasses both the flex fuel engine as well as an electric powertrain that offers higher use of ethanol combined with better fuel efficiencies. Now with the flagging-off of the first two hydrogen fuel cell buses, we have set the ball rolling and expect another 15 such buses to ply on Delhi NCR roads by the end of this year,” stated the Petroleum Minister.
“The fuel cell utilizes Hydrogen and air to generate electricity to power the bus and the only by-product from the bus is water therefore making it possibly the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation as compared to conventional buses that run on diesel and petrol. With three times the energy density and the absence of harmful emissions, hydrogen shines as a cleaner, more efficient choice to meet the energy requirements. Additionally, the buses powered with hydrogen cells takes few minutes to fully charge itself,” said Puri.
Speaking about the Government’s ambitious plans on clean and green energy, Puri said that emerging fuels like hydrogen and bio-fuels shall account for 25 percent of the global incremental energy demand growth over the next two decades. “With one of the largest synchronous grids in the world, we have achieved ‘One Nation-One Grid-One Frequency’ and would soon be a global champion in production and exports of Hydrogen and will emerge as the hub for green hydrogen,” he added. Marking the green hydrogen-powered buses as a game changer for the city transport in the country, the minister complimented Indian Oil for undertaking this collaborative approach along with Tata Motors for the development of indigenous solutions pertaining to Fuel Cell and hydrogen infrastructure in the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Teli said, “The Green Hydrogen Mission which aims to establish a Green Hydrogen ecosystem in India, is on a developmental and progressive path. Hydrogen will be a key player in the transition to a carbon-free economy and will help mitigate climate change. Today’s launch will certainly revolutionize India’s firm commitment of being a cleaner and greener nation.”
Addressing the gathering, Petroleum Secretary Pankaj Jain said, “We are at a crucial inflection point of technology and mobility. Today's flag-off of Green Hydrogen bus is a symbol of how mobility will transform and how India will move away from conventional fuels. My compliments to Indian Oil for this revolutionary foray in hydrogen.”
Indian Oil Chairman SM Vaidya said that Hydrogen is poised to be a game-changer in India's ambitious quest to achieve Net-Zero emissions by the year 2070. “In-line with Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision for National Green Hydrogen Mission, today’s flag-off of green hydrogen fuel cell buses is a testament to Indian Oil's steadfast commitment towards devising sustainable solutions for greening the Mobility sector. With the active support from the government of India and the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, this milestone marks a pivotal stride in the nation’s journey towards zero-emission mobility. Under this program, 15 fuel cell buses will be plying on specified routes in the Delhi-NCR to establish the performance data under Indian operating conditions. These 15 buses shall cover a cumulative 3 lakh kilometres to establish the efficacy, efficiency and sustainability of the complete value chain,” said Vaidya.