Mumbai: Kerala has secured Rs 34.84 crore in funding for its green hydrogen pilot project in the transport sector. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is funding the initiative, with approval from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), as it relates to transportation, according to N Veluri, chief executive officer of ANERT, reported ETEergyWorld.
The total project cost is estimated at Rs 40 crore, with approximately 90 per cent covered through viability gap funding (VGF) under the Green Hydrogen Pilot Scheme. The funding includes Rs 5.45 crore allocated for vehicles and Rs 29.39 crore for hydrogen refuelling stations. ANERT will cover green hydrogen fuel costs for the first two years to support operational expenses.
Two routes have been approved for the project: Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi and Kochi to Edappaly.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is funding the project, which will be implemented by ARAI. ANERT, the state’s nodal agency, has been chosen to execute the plan, with approval from the Project Appraisal Committee.
The project involves four trucks—two hydrogen internal combustion engine (HICE) trucks and two fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) trucks—each with a capacity of 28 tonnes or more. These trucks must complete 60,000 kilometres within 24 months and will be used by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) for transporting spare parts.
The plan also includes two hydrogen refuelling stations with a minimum capacity of 260 kg per day at 350 bar. One station will be located near Muttathara in Trivandrum, and the other near Udyogamandal in Kochi.
Partners for the project include Ashok Leyland, which will supply hydrogen trucks, BPCL and Greenstat India, which will develop the refuelling infrastructure, and KSRTC as the operational partner.
The Letter of Award for the project was issued on December 26, 2024. ANERT and its consortium partners aim to complete the project within 24 months.
This initiative aims to demonstrate the feasibility and scalability of hydrogen technology in transportation by deploying hydrogen-powered vehicles and setting up refuelling stations. The project also focuses on infrastructure development, collaborations in hydrogen production, storage technologies, and building supply chains. The refuelling stations are designed to support future vehicles, including trucks, buses, and cars.
MNRE is the nodal agency for the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which oversees pilot programs exploring green hydrogen use. Different ministries are conducting pilots, such as the Ministry of Steel for DRE steel and the Ministry of Ports for shipping. In this case, ARAI, under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH), is the technical agency implementing the project under MNRE’s National Green Hydrogen
For detailed information and further insights, please refer to BioEnergyTimes.com, which provides the latest news about the Green Hydrogen Industry
