After ethanol, India is now eyeing green hydrogen. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that work on green hydrogen is going on at a fast pace in the country. He claims that currently the cost of one kg green hydrogen is around Rs 300, which has been targeted to be reduced to Rs 100 per kg. According to Gadkari, a car can run for about 450 kilometers with one kg of green hydrogen. Apart from this, he has also given a statement regarding flying bus. He said that they are working on a plan to bring flying buses in the country soon. The National Green Hydrogen Mission of the Central Government is also moving rapidly towards making India a global center for green hydrogen production, utilization and export by 2030. In such a situation, the question is what will flying buses be like, what is green hydrogen, how is it made and can it change the picture of India’s transportation in future.
After ethanol, now government’s big focus on green hydrogen
During the inauguration of Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that work on green hydrogen is going on at a fast pace in the country. He told that hydrogen made from coal is called black hydrogen, hydrogen made from petroleum is called brown hydrogen and hydrogen made from water is called green hydrogen. He also said that work on making hydrogen from biowaste methane is also going on at a fast pace. According to Gadkari, at present the cost of green hydrogen is around Rs 300 per kg, a target has been set to reduce it to Rs 100 per kg. He claims that the car can run for about 450 kilometers with one kilogram of green hydrogen. This statement also takes forward his earlier vision in which he has been continuously calling alternative fuels the future of India.
Will flying buses really fly?
Nitin Gadkari has said that his ministry is working on electricity-based mass rapid transport system and flying buses can also become a part of it in future. He also reminded that seaplanes had been introduced in India and he himself had traveled in a sea-landing plane. Earlier also on February 2, 2023, while talking to a news channel, Gadkari had said that a study is going on in India regarding flying buses. He had told that such technology is already in use in the Philippines and India can also move in this direction. Although at present the government has not announced any timeline for its launch, but it is being seen as the urban transport system of the future.
After all, what will the ‘flying bus’ be like? Will it really fly in the air?
The ‘flying bus’ that Nitin Gadkari is talking about will not be a bus that can fly with wings like a conventional aircraft. This is actually an elevated cable bus or aerial pod system being developed under the Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS), which will run with the help of pillars built high above the ground and elevated tracks or cables. Due to its complete separation from the traffic on the road, it is being called ‘flying bus’ in common language. According to Gadkari, about 135 passengers will be able to travel together in it and it will run completely automatically i.e. without a driver. It will also have sensor based control system, air conditioner, Wi-Fi, bus hostess and other modern facilities. Its most special thing will be the flash charging technology, in which while stopping at the station for just 30 seconds, the bus will be charged enough to travel about 40 kilometers. In the future, there are also plans to connect its charging system and grid with clean energy like solar power and green hydrogen.
Symbolic photo (Photos Credit: Getty Images)
What is green hydrogen and why is it so special?
Green hydrogen is made by separating water into hydrogen and oxygen through the electrolysis process. This entire process is run with renewable energy like solar and wind. Therefore, carbon emissions during its production remain almost zero. This is the reason why it is counted among the cleanest fuels in the world. It can also be used in steel, cement and chemical industries in the future, along with long distance trucks, ships, aircraft and other heavy transportation means. Besides, it is also being considered an important medium to store renewable energy for a long time.
Green Hydrogen (Photos Credit: Getty Images)
19,744 crore mission, what is the government’s aim by 2030?
According to the PIB report, the Central Government had approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission on January 4, 2023. A total initial budget of Rs 19,744 crore has been kept for this mission. The government aims to develop at least 5 million metric tons of green hydrogen production capacity every year by 2030. With this, approximately 125 gigawatt additional renewable energy capacity will be added. The government estimates that this mission will bring investment of more than Rs 8 lakh crore, create more than 6 lakh jobs, save more than Rs 1 lakh crore in fossil fuel imports and reduce about 50 million metric tons of carbon emissions every year.
Green Hydrogen (Photos Credit: Getty Images)
Where has India reached now and what are its future preparations?
According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India has achieved a green hydrogen production capacity of about 8,000 tonnes per year by February 2026 under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. Work is going on on many pilot projects under the mission. The country’s major ports Kandla, Tuticorin and Paradip are being developed as green hydrogen hubs. Whereas Hydrogen Valley clusters are being prepared in Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Kochi and Pune. Indian Railways is also working on a hydrogen train project on the Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana. Apart from this, financial incentives are being given to electrolyzer manufacturing and green hydrogen production under the SIGHT program so that India can become self-reliant in both domestic technology and manufacturing capacity.
From ethanol to green hydrogen, why is India’s strategy changing?
Nitin Gadkari has been promoting ethanol, electric vehicles and alternative fuels for a long time. Recently, while answering the questions raised regarding ethanol blended fuel, he said that there is no evidence of E20 petrol causing any problem in any vehicle and falsehoods are being spread against it. Now the next big focus of the government is on green hydrogen, because its objective is not only to make transportation clean but also to reduce dependence on energy imports, develop domestic technology and make India a global green hydrogen production and export hub. If the mission reaches its set goals, then India’s energy and transportation system may see a major change in the coming years.
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