Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) will introduce the deployment of hydrogen-powered buses for passenger transportation within the airport. The move comes after a memorandum of agreement was inked between the Kerala Hydrogen Valley Innovation Cluster (K-HVIC) Foundation and CIAL.
According to the agreement, three hydrogen fuel cell electric buses will be procured and operated at the Kochi airport under the Kerala Hydrogen Valley initiative. The funding for procuring the buses will be provided by the K-HVIC Foundation. Furthermore, the funding will be capped at Rs 29 million per bus, and the overall project outlay will be limited to Rs 87 million.
Additionally, the funding will be granted in tranches with procurement expected to be completed within 12 months. Upon completion, the ownership of the buses will be transferred to CIAL. Moreover, CIAL will be responsible for operational and statutory expenses and will determine the operating model and routes for deploying the buses within the airport premises.
