Government of India (GoI) has awarded 12 pilot projects under the National Green Hydrogen Mission to deploy 70 hydrogen-powered vehicles across 21 routes in different states. The projects include 27 buses and 43 trucks, comprising both fuel cell electric vehicles and hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles. They also include the development of 16 hydrogen refuelling stations to support vehicle operations.
The government has allocated around Rs 4.1 billion as financial assistance for these pilot projects, of which Rs 0.41 billion has already been released. The projects have been awarded to multiple consortia, including NTPC; Tata Motors with Indian Oil Corporation Limited; Reliance Industries Limited; HPCL; NHPC; Waaree; EKA Mobility; KPI Green Energy Limited; and others. The pilot projects will be implemented across routes in states such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand.
Furthermore, the government has also put in place a monitoring and feedback mechanism for these projects. The implementing agencies will regularly submit reports on vehicle performance, fuel consumption, safety and utilisation. According to the government, the findings from these pilot projects will help assess the techno-economic viability of hydrogen-based mobility solutions and support future policy decisions for the deployment of green hydrogen vehicles in India.
