India’s First Hydrogen-Powered Buses Will Run On Delhi Roads From November
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50 CNG buses of the existing 5,521 fleet will be retrofitted with HCNG as part of a pilot project.
According to a 2018 study, the transport sector in Delhi contributes around 28 to 30 per cent to the city's pollution. Thus, in order to mitigate this environmental hazard, it is necessary that motor vehicles in Delhi soon adapt to more eco-friendly fuels. The government has already taken the first steps towards an eco-friendly public transport system by adding electric vehicles to its fleet of buses, and now it is taking a step further by introducing India’s first hydrogen-powered buses in Delhi. The Delhi government, along with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL), began work to set up India’s first semi-commercial HCNG station which they said will be ready by October.
The pathbreaking initiative will be first tested as a pilot project with 50 CNG buses of the existing 5,521 fleet of buses being retrofitted with HCNG. Rajghat-I depot will be turned into a HCNG station as part of the same following which the performances of the buses will be monitored on a weekly basis by the IOCL and the International Centre of Automotive Technology.
Apart from setting up the HCNG station, the government will also build other infrastructure to convert HCNG into electricity. The HCNG buses also ensure 3 to 4 per cent fuel economy improvement and will help reduce the carbon footprint of the transport sector in the city.
