Hardeep Singh Puri flags off India's first hydrogen fuel cell bus, says game changing development

New Delhi: Union Minister for petroleum, natural gas and housing and urban affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri flagged off the country's first green hydrogen cell bus at Kartavya Path in Delhi on Monday. Puri said that 15 green hydrogen buses will be operational by December.

The union minister said that the future of our transport is green hydrogen and it is a game changing development. "This is a significant move towards green mobility. Somewhere one has to make the beginning and we have stepped up in this direction," Puri said in Delhi.

"The move will help India from being an importer of fossil energy to becoming an exporter of clean hydrogen energy. We can also provide technology transfer to other countries. India is on the path of becoming a green hydrogen producer as well as manufacturer of parts," he said

Stressing that the cost of green hydrogen has to come down, Puri said that it will take time to make the initiative viable. "It is hard to predict as to when the cost of green hydrogen will come down and become viable. We're attaining great heights, we've launched a successful lunar mission and now, we have come up with the first manifestation of something that runs on green hydrogen," Puri said.

The Union minister said that after assuming charge he took up the green hydrogen issue with US energy secretary. Green hydrogen has the potential to replace fossil fuel along with being a low-carbon and self-reliant alternative. IndianOil has has taken up the operational trials of the first set of 15 buses. Two fuel cell buses were launched today from India Gate.

While using hydrogen as a fuel, the electrochemical reaction converts the hydrogen at anode and oxygen at cathode to water along with releasing electrical energy in the form of electrons. Along with being efficient, the fuel cell vehicles have the advantage of lower refueling time. Hydrogen gas is stored onboard in cylinders.