In a first, India’s first Hydrogen fuel cell bus begins trial run in Leh

New Delhi: India’s first Hydrogen fuel cell bus service has kicked off for a three-month-long trial run on public roads in the high-altitude Leh, as part of efforts to achieve a carbon-neutral Ladakh.

The green hydrogen mobility project, implemented by the country’s largest power generator, NTPC, at 11,562 feet (above sea level), will be the first deployment of fuel cell Electric Vehicles (EVs) for public use in India.

The state-run company is building a hydrogen fuelling station, a solar plant of 1.7 megawatts for producing green Hydrogen to fuel the buses and providing five fuel cell buses to the Leh administration for operation on intracity routes.

The Leh administration has given 7.5 acres of land in the city for the infrastructure, reports TOI. Ashok Leyland is supplying the buses at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore each, under a global expression of interest floated in 2020, the report says.

The first hydrogen bus reached Leh on August 17 as part of a 3-month-long process of field trials, roadworthiness tests, and other statutory procedures.

The fuel cell buses are designed for operation in sub-zero temperatures in rarefied atmospheres, typical to such altitude locations which is a unique feature of this project.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his vision of a carbon-neutral Ladakh during his 2020 Independence day speech.

NTPC aims to reach a renewable energy capacity of 60 gigawatts (GW) by 2032 and be a prominent player in both green hydrogen technology and energy storage.

The company is actively engaged in various endeavours to reduce its carbon footprint, including initiatives such as Hydrogen blending, Carbon Capture, electric vehicle (EV) buses, and the development of Smart NTPC Townships.

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