Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOC) has announced that by 2024, it will build 10,000 EV chargers across India to help expand the country’s EV infrastructure. As per a company statement, 2,000 EV charging stations will be established in the next 12 months. Following that, 8,000 EV charging stations will be installed in the next two years. The company has already set up EV-charging points at 76 of its gas stations. Further, it has also set up battery-swapping facilities at 11 more outlets. It is also evaluating different advanced battery technologies and plans to build a metal-air battery-manufacturing facility for EVs as well as for stationary applications.
In September 2021, IOCL floated a tender in two categories to empanel vendors to develop solar projects at its locations and retail outlets across India. The tender specifies projects under two categories; under Category-I, individual solar projects of capacities up to 50 kW based in specific regions will be developed. Under Category-II, individual solar project capacity of above 50 kW and up to 500 kW will be developed across India.
Prior to that, Tata Motors won a tender of 15 hydrogen-based proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell buses from IOCL. IOCL had invited bids for supply of PEM fuel cell buses in December 2020. All 15 buses will be delivered within 144 weeks from the date of signing of the MOU. In addition to supplying the buses to the Research & Development (R&D) Centre of IOCL, Tata Motors will also collaborate with them to undertake R&D projects and collectively study further the potential of fuel cell technology for commercial vehicles. This will be done by jointly testing, maintaining and operating these buses for public transport in Delhi-NCR. The buses will be refuelled by hydrogen generated and dispensed by IOCL.
