GREEN HYDROGEN 

• Major Indian commercial vehicle manufacturers like Tata Motors, Volvo Eicher, and Ashok Leyland are intensifying their efforts in developing hydrogen-powered trucks and buses. They are investing heavily in research and development while expanding manufacturing capacities.
• Simultaneously, Indian energy companies are striving to scale up green hydrogen production and drive down costs to enhance their competitiveness against other fuels.
• Hydrogen is poised to become a cornerstone in the transportation sector shortly. With India being a substantial and growing market for both vehicles and energy, the widespread adoption of green hydrogen as a vehicular fuel holds immense potential for the country.
• The utilization of green hydrogen offers substantial emissions reductions, crucial for combating global warming and climate change. India sees various benefits, including pollution mitigation, achieving climate targets, reducing dependency on costly fossil fuel imports, and seizing the opportunity to establish itself as a global hub for green hydrogen production and export.

4. MNRE Scheme for the Transportation Sector

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) launched a pilot project scheme in February to assess the viability of green hydrogen as a transportation fuel.

The scheme focuses on three key objectives

1. Technical Feasibility and Performance: Validate the technical capabilities and performance of green hydrogen when used as a fuel for vehicles.
2. Economic Viability: Evaluate the economic feasibility of green hydrogen-powered vehicles, including factors like costs and potential returns.
3. Safe Operation Demonstration: Showcase the safe operation of both hydrogen-powered vehicles and the associated refuelling stations.

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways will appoint a dedicated agency to manage the scheme. This agency will then invite proposals for pilot projects. Following a selection process, the chosen company or consortium will become the executing agency responsible for carrying out the project.

Funding for these pilot projects will come in the form of viability gap funding (VGF) approved by the MNRE based on the recommendations of a Project Appraisal Committee. The VGF amount will be determined on a project-by-project basis, considering factors like specific needs, merits, and overall feasibility. The executing agency will have two years to complete the pilot project.

A hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle operates similarly to traditional cars powered by diesel or petrol, but with a key difference: there are no carbon emissions produced during combustion.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs)

Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) utilize hydrogen electrochemically by converting it into electricity through a fuel cell. This process involves storing hydrogen in a high-pressure tank and generating electricity, with water being the only byproduct. While hydrogen ICE vehicles don't emit carbon, research suggests that burning hydrogen is less energy-efficient compared to converting it into electricity in a fuel cell.

Advantages of Hydrogen FCEVs Over Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)

Compared to battery electric vehicles (BEVs), where the battery constitutes the heaviest part of the vehicle, hydrogen FCEVs are typically lighter. This is because hydrogen is a lighter element, and a fuel cell stack weighs less than an electric vehicle (EV) battery. This feature makes hydrogen fuel cell technology a promising alternative to EV battery technology, particularly for heavy-duty trucks that can benefit from increased payload capacity without emitting smoke from burning diesel.

The Promise of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology

Research indicates that long-haul FCEVs can carry freight amounts comparable to diesel trucks, whereas long-haul BEVs face a weight penalty of up to 25% due to heavier batteries. Given the imperative to reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector while maintaining revenue-generating payload capacity, green hydrogen emerges as a promising solution.

6. Challenges Facing the Adoption of Green Hydrogen in Transportation

The widespread adoption of green hydrogen in the transportation sector encounters several significant challenges

• The primary obstacle is the high cost of green hydrogen production. Additionally, challenges related to storage and transportation at scale further compound the issue. However, ongoing technological innovation and increased production scaling are expected to drive costs down in the coming years.
• Despite advancements, green hydrogen-powered vehicles are not yet perceived as a viable alternative to four-wheel electric vehicles (EVs). Challenges such as fuel costs and the establishment of supporting infrastructure hinder their widespread acceptance. Recent closures of hydrogen refuelling stations in California, despite remaining operational for heavy-duty vehicles, underscore the challenges in this regard.
• For hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to compete effectively with battery electric vehicles (BEVs), the cost of green hydrogen needs to range between $3 and $6.5 per kilogram by 2030. However, current retail prices in California are substantially higher, and the cost of building hydrogen refuelling stations for trucks is significantly greater than that of BEV stations.
• Specialized cylinders capable of storing green hydrogen pose another challenge. Existing cylinders designed for compressed natural gas (CNG) are unsuitable due to the higher pressure requirements of hydrogen. Developing high-pressure hydrogen cylinders with sufficient strength, typically using carbon fibre, incurs high costs, hampering hydrogen's adoption as a transport fuel.
• Hydrogen's flammability necessitates stringent safety measures compared to conventional fuels like diesel, petrol, or even CNG. Robust handling and safety standards are imperative before large-scale adoption can be pursued.
• Advancements in battery technologies, resulting in lighter EV batteries, may pose a long-term challenge to the viability of green hydrogen-powered heavy-duty commercial vehicles. As battery weight decreases, the attractiveness of hydrogen-powered vehicles may diminish.