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The Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, Shri R. K. Singh, led a crucial meeting in New Delhi on January 25, 2024, engaging with government and industry stakeholders from the transport sector. The primary focus was on pilot projects falling within the ambit of the National Green Hydrogen Mission. Attended by officials from the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and various representatives from the transport sector, the discussions centered on the potential utilization of green hydrogen in heavy-duty mobility applications.
Highlighting the government’s commitment to energy transition and India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) to reduce emissions intensity, Minister Singh stressed the pivotal role of the transport sector in achieving NDC targets. He emphasized the potential of Green Hydrogen in applications like trucks and buses, utilizing both fuel cell and internal combustion engine technologies.
Singh proposed a series of trials to identify the potential of green hydrogen in the transport sector, aiming to formulate a national roadmap for sectoral decarbonization. He advocated for the use of green hydrogen in pilot projects and called for a comprehensive comparison between hydrogen-powered vehicles and battery-electric vehicles, particularly in heavy-duty applications.
The Minister urged the development of indigenous technology for integrating hydrogen into the transport sector, emphasizing ongoing trials of hydrogen-powered vehicles, including H2 ICE trucks and H2 fuel cell buses. Industry representatives raised concerns about the higher costs associated with green hydrogen, fuel cells, and hydrogen storage cylinders. Minister Singh assured them that costs would naturally decrease with scaling up and the development of indigenous manufacturing.
The meeting concluded with a commitment to advancing hydrogen-powered vehicles and fostering sustainable solutions in the transport sector, aligning with India’s NDC targets. The Minister emphasized concerted efforts for market development and expressed the government’s readiness to allocate additional funds, if necessary, beyond the Rs. 496 crores earmarked for the transport sector under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. |
