Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Development in India
Connor Dolan
As the energy demand for automotive and industrial sectors continues to increase worldwide, conventional fossil fuels will no longer fulfill growing needs for clean and reliable energy. Hydrogen has been emerging internationally as a multi-sector solution. From aviation and shipping to long-distance road transportation, hydrogen is a green alternative to powering heavy-duty vehicles and energy-intensive industries. Due to the current energy crisis, environmental degradation, and climate change impacts from fossil fuels, India is exploring clean and effective alternatives to fossil fuels, including the use of fuel cell technology.
Meeting a Growing Demand
The use of hydrogen as an automotive fuel has gained momentum in India. India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has been supporting various hydrogen projects in academic institutions, research organizations, and industry for development. Examples of projects include the development of internal combustion engines running on hydrogen to power two- and three-wheelers and minibuses, as well as the establishment of two hydrogen refueling stations at Indian Oil R&D Centre in Faridabad and the National Institute of Solar Energy in Gurugram. As of February 2020, MNRE has partnered with NTPC Ltd., an Indian energy conglomerate, to propose the launch of a pilot fuel cell bus project.
Upcoming Fuel Cell Developments
A hydrogen fuel cell bus was launched in 2019 in India by Tata Motors in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Indian Oil (IOCL). In addition, Hyundai also seeks to place its first fuel cell NEXO SUV in India by 2021, and plans on building the required hydrogen infrastructure to support the vehicles near Delhi.
Tata Starbus Fuel Cell, the first hydrogen fuel cell powered bus in India. Source
India is also taking significant steps to improve energy efficiency. In February of 2020, India’s National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC), invited global expressions of interest to provide 10 hydrogen fuel cell buses and cars in Leh and Delhi. These projects foresee hydrogen production through renewable energy sources and utilizing it for use in fuel cell vehicles for public transportation. NTPC will provide renewable energy for hydrogen production, set up hydrogen generation and fueling stations at locations based on inputs from applicants, and will coordinate with local transport authorities.
The Future of Global Energy Markets
The Yale Environmental Performance Index ranked India 174th out of 178 countries due to India’s highly-polluted air. Diesel generators are widely used for decentralized power generation throughout India, and although inexpensive, are inefficient and come with significant environmental and health risks.
In contrast, fuel cell generators and microgrid applications emit drastically lower emissions and are completely zero-emission when paired with hydrogen fuel. Fuel cells are capable of standing in for diesel generators, especially in the space of telecommunications. Currently, the majority of rural Indian telecom sites use diesel generators, which not only create air pollutants and noise, but are difficult to maintain. The country contains more than 500,000 cellular towers, which contribute more than 2% to India’s total greenhouse gas emissions. If India were to replace the generators with fuel cells, they would be able to cut down on emissions, similarly to what is done in the United States. Across the U.S., fuel cells from companies like Plug Power and Altergy are used to power telecom sites, proving the viability for this implementation.
Air pollution in New Delhi in 2019, the India Gate monument on Rajpath boulevard enveloped in smog. Source
However, India’s air pollution will not be solved by replacing telecom sites alone. With a current population of 1.4 billion, India has one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies. Ultimately India’s energy demand will greatly influence the future of the global energy markets. The Government of India has made important strides in increasing citizens’ access to electricity and clean water using solar photovoltaics. Unfortunately, electricity supply to urban and rural India is still unreliable, India still faces an energy deficit of 2.1%, and about 20,000 villages are off-grid.
In the Innovators Exchange Series, clean energy technology expert Dr. Varun Sivaram shared his perspective on why India represents the world's most critical energy transition and how clean energy innovation can help the country slash its carbon emissions. “By mid-century, India could be the world’s largest (CO2) emitter as its economy and population both grow. A clean energy transition is now underway, in 2017 India became the world's second-largest solar market, today India has over 70 GW of solar and wind capacity, which still produces less than 10% of India’s energy. However, a carrier is needed that links electricity production from renewable energy to end uses of heat and energy. Hydrogen is a good candidate that can be produced by renewable solar and wind and used to power industrial processes while acting as a more efficient storage medium battery.”
With the rapidly growing population and economic development in India, the country is facing large environmental concerns that are affecting its population. Fuel cell and hydrogen technology is emerging as one solution through its clean operation and versatility in application. India’s funding of major fuel cell and hydrogen technological developments will help push hydrogen into the fold of critical decarbonization methods, from reducing emissions from obvious factors such as transportation, to the unnoticed but significant culprits such as a standard telecom tower.