Bhubaneswar: Green hydrogen buses will soon be introduced on the Bhubaneswar-Konark-Puri route as part of the National Green Hydrogen Mission, a key initiative by the central government to promote clean energy transportation, reported New Indian Express.
According to sources, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has approved five pilot projects, which include a total of 37 vehicles—both buses and trucks—and nine hydrogen refueling stations across multiple routes in the country.
The vehicles chosen for this trial consist of 15 hydrogen fuel cell buses and 22 hydrogen internal combustion engine-based vehicles. They will be deployed on 10 different routes, including the Bhubaneswar-Konark-Puri corridor in Odisha. Other selected routes include Greater Noida-Delhi-Agra, Ahmedabad-Vadodara-Surat, Sahibabad-Faridabad-Delhi, Pune-Mumbai, Jamshedpur-Kalinga Nagar, Thiruvananthapuram-Kochi, Kochi-Edappally, Jamnagar-Ahmedabad, and NH-16 Visakhapatnam-Bayyavaram.
MNRE officials stated that these pilot projects are expected to be launched within the next 18 to 24 months, marking an important step toward expanding hydrogen-powered transportation in India.
The initiative involves collaboration with major industry players such as TATA Motors Ltd, Reliance Industries Limited, NTPC, ANERT, Ashok Leyland, HPCL, BPCL, and IOCL. The total financial support allocated for these projects is approximately ₹208 crore.
For Odisha, the project will be executed with an investment of ₹19.5 crore by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). The goal is to shift from traditional fossil fuel-powered buses to environmentally friendly hydrogen-powered vehicles. A tripartite agreement has been signed between NTPC, GRIDCO, and CRUT to facilitate the transition.
MNRE authorities emphasized that these pilot projects will assess the efficiency of hydrogen-powered vehicles and refueling stations while evaluating their feasibility, performance, and economic viability. The trials will provide valuable insights into integrating hydrogen-based transport systems into real-world conditions, reducing India’s reliance on fossil fuel imports.
