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With the objective of testing the performance of hydrogen-powered vehicles, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has initiated five projects across the country. These projects will be accomplished in collaboration with domestic players like Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL). These five projects will be a part of the National Green Hydrogen Mission, under which MNRE had earlier issued guidelines for implementing hydrogen-based transport solutions. The ministry had invited proposals for different types of vehicle which can operate on hydrogen, the potential routes on which these vehicles can operate and appropriate infrastructure to re-fuel these vehicles. 

 

 

After considering all factors thoroughly the ministry has approved a total of 37 vehicles including 15 hydrogen fuel cell-based and 22 hydrogen-powered vehicles combined with internal combustion engines, followed by nine hydrogen refueling stations. These vehicles will operate and undergo test drives on ten routes in India, including:

 

Greater Noida–Delhi–Agra

Bhubaneshwar–Konark–Puri

Ahmedabad–Vadodara–Surat

Sahibabad–Faridabad–Delhi

Pune–Mumbai

Jamshedpur–Kalinga Nagar

Thiruvananthapuram–Kochi

Kochi–Edappally

Jamnagar–Ahmedabad

NH-16 Visakhapatnam–Bayyavaram

 

Public sector enterprises such as NTPC, the Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (ANERT), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), and Indian Oil Corporation (IoCL) are also actively involved in these projects.

 

Financial Support and Implementation Timeline: The central government has allocated approximately ₹208 crore to support these pilot projects. The expected time to complete these projects is from 18 to 24 months. This initiative is seen as an important step towards assessing the relevance of hydrogen-powered mobility in India.

 

Advancing Hydrogen as a Sustainable Fuel: The primary objective of these pilot projects is to encourage the use of hydrogen as a fuel in public transport vehicles including buses and trucks. This includes the establishment of hydrogen refuelling stations and the phased deployment of hydrogen as a fuel. The projects also aim to evaluate the safety and efficiency of hydrogen-powered vehicles while assessing their feasibility in real-world conditions. Apart from this, the project will also evaluate the economic viability of hydrogen-based transport solutions, setting the foundation for broader adoption in India's green energy transition. As India continues to move toward clean energy, these hydrogen-based pilot projects can play an important role in reducing carbon emissions and encouraging sustainable transportation solutions across the country.