India flagged off its first green hydrogen fuel cell bus from Kartavya Path, New Delhi on Monday. The bus was flagged off by Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing & Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri.
Flagging-off the first hydrogen cell bus, Puri explained the concept of hydrogen and the benefits of using it as the fuel for the future. “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 take a few minutes to fully charge themselves, added Puri.
Delighted to flag off the future of green 🍀 energy!
First Green Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus!
Provides huge momentum to PM Sh @narendramodi Ji’s vision for a cleaner & greener future & transforming the transportation sector!@PMOIndia @PetroleumMin @IndianOilcl @ianuragthakur pic.twitter.com/xgGC4fNKCR
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) September 25, 2023
Speaking about the Government’s ambitious plans on clean and green energy, Puri mentioned that emerging sources such as hydrogen and biofuels are expected to constitute a quarter of the world’s increasing energy demand in the next twenty years.
“With one of the largest synchronous grids in the world, we have achieved ‘One Nation-One Grid-One Frequency’, and would soon be global champion in production and exports of Hydrogen and is set to emerge as the Hub for green hydrogen”, he added.
He applauded cooperation between industry and the government in elevating India’s global standing and transforming it into a worldwide center for cleaner technologies, with the goal of achieving energy self-sufficiency in the near future.
“We were privy to the launch of the world’s first BS 6 (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 flagging-off the first two hydrogen 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.
Highlighting the significant impact of green hydrogen-powered buses on urban transportation in the nation, Puri commended IndianOil for its collaborative effort with Tata Motors in pioneering the development of domestic solutions for Fuel Cell technology and hydrogen infrastructure in India. “Success of this project can catapult India from being net importer of fossil energy to becoming net exporter of clean hydrogen energy”, added Puri.