Triton EV Becomes First Indian Auto Company to Announce Hydrogen Fuel-Powered Trucks

India's leading clean energy-run advanced mobility company, Triton Electric Vehicle to manufacture Hydrogen-powered trucks from its Bhuj, Gujarat manufacturing plant. These trucks will be hybrid heavy vehicles which will be produced for Indian roads as well as for International markets. With this announcement, Triton became the first Indian automobile company to enter this category. 

Triton’s entry into hydrogen-powered vehicles was announced in August 2022 with the announcement of Triton Hydrogen-Run Two-Wheelers and Triton Hydrogen Busses. The hydrogen-powered hybrid vehicles will be the top priority for Triton, as it has a sustainable roadmap. With today’s announcement of Hydrogen Powered Trucks, Triton’s commitment towards clean tech and clean energy reaches new heights. This announcement gives Triton an early movers advantage in the space of heavy vehicles with hydrogen fuel capabilities. 

“We are excited to work on ensuring clean mobility technologies. In this journey, our introduction of Hydrogen Fuel Powered Trucks is a great milestone. This product not only shows our commitment to a clean environment but also ensures a great acknowledgement for India’s global leadership in advanced automotive with clean fuel efficiencies,” says Himanshu Patel, Founder and Managing Director of Triton EV. 

Technology Edge 

Hybrid engines that use hydrogen fuel cells in combination with electric motors can take advantage of the high torque output of the electric motor while also benefiting from the energy density and range of the hydrogen fuel. In comparison, traditional combustion engines rely on gears to produce torque, which can result in a less smooth and responsive driving experience. Additionally, because of the way the electric motor is integrated into the hybrid system, it can act as a generator to charge the battery when the vehicle is decelerating, thus making the overall torque performance even more efficient. 

About Triton Electric Vehicle (TEV) 

Triton Electric Vehicle LLC, the young and most enterprising Electric Vehicle company headquartered in Cherry Hill, New Jersey-USA, recently set up its R&D centre and manufacturing facility in India with best-in-class infrastructure and expertise. The company has recently forayed into Hydrogen run vehicles and has started the journey of manufacturing Hydrogen-run Two-Wheelers, Three-Wheelers and Buses.

Need for diversified sources of green hydrogen highlighted

 

An article in the Business Line newspaper has highlighted the need for divesifying sources of production of green hydrogen. 

It speaks of the urgent need to look beyond electrolysis and biomass. It mentions microbial and nuclear routes for the production of green hydrogen, which have been completely ignored by the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

The article draws attention to the efforts of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), which is developing an 'Indian molten salt breeder reactor' and an 'Indian high temperature reactor', both of which are capable of producing green hydrogen at a low cost.

The article also laments the ignoring of 'white hydrogen' -- underground, pure elemental hydrogen that can be mined, like natural gas. India, like elsewhere, has lots of it.

Jefferies values Reliance's green hydrogen business at $ 8 billion, 20% discount to European benchmark

Global brokerage firm, Jefferies, has valued Reliance Industries Ltd's green hydrogen business at $ 8 billion. "We have valued RIL's electrolyzer manufacturing business at a 20 per cent discount to the European benchmark and added the cap value of its captive hydrogen consumption," Jefferies has said, in a recent report.

By this reckoning, the firm has arrived at a valuation of $ 8 billion for RIL's green hydrogen business. The green hydrogen business, Jefferies says, could be moved to an InVIT. This way, RIL would monetise its captive green hydrogen production and attract investors, the firm said.

In October 2021, RIL signed up with the Danish company, Stiesdal, for technology for manufacturing alkaline electrolyzers in India, but there have been no further announcements on any update, nor have the two companies responded to requests for updates.

Fluitron sets up first domestically-built hydrogen dispenser at Faridabad near Delhi

Fluitron LLC, an established developer and manufacturer of industrial-grade gas compression systems, has successfully completed the manufacturing, testing, installation and PESO (Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization) approval for the first domestically-built hydrogen dispenser in India. This project and its successful introduction is a significant milestone in acceleration of hydrogen technology development in India.

This dispenser, which is capable of filling tanks at 350 bar pressure, features two nozzles for light and heavy-duty vehicles and a third nozzle for the future addition of 700 bar hydrogen dispensing. It also integrates a cascading system and pre-cooling protocols specified through international codes and standards.

India currently relies heavily on coal and other fossil fuels for electricity generation. Combined with the fact that India is expected to be the world’s most populous country by 2030, an energy crisis is looming, notes a press release from the company. Hydrogen offers several advantages over traditional fuels when it comes to addressing the issue. It produces fewer emissions than fossil fuels while still providing a reliable source of power on demand. It is also relatively inexpensive when compared to other fuel sources like natural gas or nuclear power plants. In addition, it can be easily transported over long distances due to its low weight and high energy density. This makes it ideal for areas with limited infrastructure or access to energy sources.

“Hydrogen has the potential to revolutionize how India meets its growing energy needs while simultaneously promoting sustainability and reducing emissions,” said Tom Joseph, Vice President of Business Development at Fluitron LLC. “For more than a decade, Fluitron has provided customers with engineered, customized hydrogen technology solutions for energy storage and use in diverse markets. This investment in hydrogen technology helps ensure that India’s economy continues to grow while improving environmental quality and public health.”

Adani to bring in hydrogen powered mining truck of Ashok Leyland make with Ballard Power's PEM fuel cell

Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL), part of the diversified Adani portfolio of companies, today signed an agreement to launch a pilot project to develop a hydrogen fuel cell electric truck (FCET) for mining logistics and transportation with Ashok Leyland, India, and Ballard Power, Canada.

Essentially, it will be an Ashok Leyland truck with Ballard's PEM fuel cell.

The hydrogen powered mining truck will weigh 55 tons, have three hydrogen tanks, a 200-km working range, and powered by Ballard’s 120 kW PEM fuel cell technology.

This collaboration marks Asia’s first planned hydrogen powered mining truck. The demonstration project will be led by AEL, a company focused on both mining operations and developing green hydrogen projects for sourcing, transporting, and building out hydrogen refueling infrastructure. Ballard, an industry leading PEM fuel cell engine manufacturer, will supply the FCmove^TM fuel cell engine for the hydrogen truck and Ashok Leyland, one of the largest manufacturers of buses in the world, will provide the vehicle platform and technical support. The FCET is scheduled to be launched in India in 2023.

The Adani Group previously announced it plans to invest more than USD 50 billion over the next ten years in green hydrogen and associated ecosystems corresponding to a capacity of up to 3 million tons of green hydrogen annually.

Vinay Prakash, Director, Adani Enterprises Limited and CEO, Adani Natural Resources said, “This pioneering and ambitious green hydrogen project holds a strong promise for India’s future energy self-reliance and is consistent with the vision of Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, of accelerating the use of hydrogen-powered fuel cell technology in the commercial transport system. This experience of handling hydrogen as a fuel for commercial fleet not only prepones the advent of hydrogen technology for the mining and logistics sector in the country but will also enable other businesses to opt for long-term sustainable solutions transitioning fleets in ports, airports and in their industrial operations.” 

                                                                       Vinay Prakash

                                                       

“After signing an MoU with the Adani Group last year, we are eager to move our partnership forward and welcome the chance to cooperate with cutting-edge businesses like Adani,” said Randy MacEwen, CEO, Ballard Power Systems. “Our technology offers a strong value proposition for their heavy-duty mining truck with our zero emission engines providing long range, rapid refueling and heavy payload capabilities.”

“Ashok Leyland is excited to collaborate with Adani and Ballard to bring out fuel cell commercial vehicles in the mining and logistics sectors in India,” said Dr. N. Saravanan, CTO, Ashok Leyland. “With our track record of developing unique and new products, Ballard's technological expertise in fuel cells, and Adani’s unwavering dedication to hydrogen, there is a significant opportunity for India to decarbonize both goods and passenger transportation.”

 

Empowered Committee headed by Cabinet Secretary to guide implementation of Green Hydrogen Mission

The government will set up an empowered group headed by Cabinet Secretary for steering and guiding the implementation the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which aims to make India a global manufacturing hub the clean source of energy, reports Press Trust of India. The group will comprise Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, NITI Aayog CEO, and secretaries of various ministries besides departments of scientific and industrial research, promotion of industry and internal trade, and experts from the industry, according to the Mission Document.

The Union Cabinet on January 4 approved the mission with an outlay of Rs 19,744 crore to make India a global hub for the manufacturing of this clean source of energy, and development of a production capacity of at least 5 MMT (Million Metric Tonnes) per annum with an associated renewable energy capacity addition of about 125 GW in the country by 2030.

The effective implementation of the Mission requires strong coordination among various ministries and departments of central and state governments, industry, institutions, and other stakeholders.

A National Green Hydrogen Advisory Group comprising experts from academic and research institutions, industry, and civil society will also be constituted to advise the EG on all science and technology related matters pertaining to the Mission.

It will carry out technology gap analysis for various aspects of the value chain and accordingly define broad performance and cost targets based on global benchmarking.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) will be the nodal coordinating ministry for the Mission and will undertake the overarching policy formulation and programme implementation with an aim to scale up production of green hydrogen, green ammonia and other derivatives and enable cost reduction. The government has also identified several risk factors which will be dealt with timely action through necessary policy changes to make the National Green Hydrogen Mission a success, it said.

"The success in achieving the outcomes of this mission is dependent on several factors. It will require constant monitoring, indexing, and sufficient flexibility for mid-course corrections. The underlying governance framework will be tasked with risk identification, classification and timely-action through necessary policy changes," according to the mission document.

The mission seeks to minimise various risks through an appropriate mix of financial and non-financial levers, and review mechanisms. These will be monitored regularly by the mission secretariat through regular consultations with stakeholders.

"An indicative categorization and associated management/mitigation measures for the likely risks are detailed (mission in the document)," it said.

Oil marketing companies asked to submit green hydrogen roadmap in 15 days, says Minister Hardeep Puri

 India's petroleum minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, has said that he has directed the oil marketing companies (OMCs) to prepare a plan in the field of green hydrogen, which he said would be submitted to the Prime Minister's Office very soon.

The minister made the remarks while addressing reporters on the sidelines of '11th CII Bio-Energy Summit' in the national capital.

India has three large oil refining-cum-marketing companie--IOC, BPCL and HPCL. These, along with their subsidiaries are the primary suppliers of petroleum products to the country. There are also some private refiners such as Reliance and Shell.

"I have always been a staunch believer that the success of green hydrogen will come from the petroleum and natural gas (PNG) sector for a variety of reasons (like) you have refineries which will produce and consume green hydrogen for a variety of PNG functions," he said.

"I called my oil companies and said I want to be the first minister to submit to the PM (Narendra Modi) a plan on how these OMCs are going to deal with green hydrogen. I am very happy to announce that we will submit a plan very soon, " he said.

Indian govt to invite bids for green hydrogen manufacturing in May 2023

  India will by May invite bids for subsidies for setting up green-hydrogen manufacturing and utilisation hubs, fertiliser and steel plants based on the fuel, and factories for making electrolysers, says a report in Business Standard, sourced from Reuters.

The bidding process is part of a first phase of a $2 billion incentive plan announced last week to boost use of green hydrogen to cut emissions and make India a major exporter in the field.

Green hydrogen is hydrogen made with renewable energy. The plan aims at using it in fertiliser and steel production in place of hydrogen made with fossil fuels, blending it into urban gas supply gas and promoting its use in transportation.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy did not respond to a query sent by Reuters, the report says.

Establishing electrolyser factories and hubs for making and using green hydrogen could attract interest from such big companies such as Reliance Group and Adani Group, which have already committed billions of dollars to green-hydrogen activities. Electrolysers are devices for making hydrogen.

The government will call witin three to four months for competitive bids for establishing two green hydrogen hubs, two government sources, who did not want to be named, told Reuters.

In the same period it will seek bids for setting up two fertiliser plants using green hydrogen and green ammonia - ammonia made with green hydrogen - they said.

It will subsidise establshment of the activities proposed by the winning bidders, which will retain ownership.

The government intends to award contracts within a year, both sources said.

Other countries are working in this field, but high costs of transporting and storing hydrogen and of making electrolysers are key issues that need to be resolved

The plan, called the National Green Hydrogen Mission, aims at substituting all ammonia-based fertiliser imports with domestic fertilisers using green ammonia by 2034-35.

The government wants India to produce 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030.

Similarly, steel projects using 100% green hydrogen will be set up, according to two sources.

The hydrogen plan is to be implemented in phases. Up to 2025-26, sectors already using hydrogen will be converted to green hydrogen and low-cost electrolyser manufactuing will be set up.

In the second phase, between 2026-27 and 2029-30, production of commercial-scale green hydrogen in steel and mobility sectors will be explored, the two officials said.

The phase 1 projects will begin manufacturing in two years, the two officials said.

 

NTPC commissions India's first green hydrogen blending project

 NTPC Ltd commissions India's first green hydrogen blending project. The green hydrogen blending has been started in the piped natural gas (PNG) network of NTPC Kawas township, Surat. The project is a joint effort of NTPC and Gujarat Gas Limited (GGL).

The first molecule of green hydrogen from the project was set in motion by Shri P Ram Prasad, head of project, Kawas in presence of other senior executives of NTPC Kawas and GGL.

After the start of blending operation, NTPC Kawas held awareness workshops for township residents with help of GGL officials.

NTPC and GGL have worked relentlessly towards achieving this milestone in record time after the foundation stone laying by the Prime Minister Modi on 30th July 2022. This set-up is geared up to supply H2-NG (natural gas) to households of Kawas township at Adityanagar, Surat. Green hydrogen in Kawas is made by electrolysis of water using power from already installed 1 MW floating solar project.

Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), the regulatory body has given approval for 5% vol./vol. blending of green hydrogen with PNG to start with and the blending level would be scaled phase wise to reach 20%.  Green hydrogen when blended with natural gas reduces CO2 emissions keeping net heating content same.

This feat is achieved only by few select countries like UK, Germany, and Australia etc. This would bring India at the centre stage of the global hydrogen economy. India would not only reduce its hydrocarbon import bill significantly but can also bring forex ashore by being a green hydrogen and green chemicals exporter to the world.

The Green Billions Ltd joins hands with Pune Municipal Corporation to extract green hydrogen from waste

Mumbai-based The GreenBillions Limited (TGBL) has joined hands with The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to set up its first plant in India to extract green hydrogen from biomass and municipal solid waste, reports Business Standard. This project aims to demonstrate the technological and financial feasibility of waste to hydrogen generation.

The GreenBillions specialises in consulting, managing, and executing sustainable initiatives, the paper says. TGBL deals with environment-friendly products and solutions. The company is currently investing in setting up plants that can extract clean and green hydrogen from biomass, water, and municipal solid waste.

The upcoming plant in Pune will be managed by its wholly-owned subsidiary Variate Pune Waste to Energy Pvt. Ltd. (VPWTEPL). The company will also utilise the municipal waste of 350 tonne per day (TPD) of Pune to generate hydrogen for a period of 30 years, said TGBL in a statement. Refuse derived fuel (RDF) extracted from the waste would later be used to generate hydrogen with the help of Plasma gasification technology. The waste will comprise biodegradable, non-biodegradable and domestic hazardous waste and would be segregated at the TheGreenBillions’s facility in Pune using optical sensor technology.

In the meantime, the firm is also in talks with other state municipalities across India to implement and set up similar plants in the future.

Prateek Kanakia, chairman and founder commented on the occasion and said, "With the rising demand from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to generate Clean Hydrogen, it is essential to find alternatives to foster clean hydrogen in the country. We recognise that an efficient garbage collection and disposal system is crucial for quality urban solid waste management. Especially in India, unsustainable garbage management affects living spaces for many cities. Our association with the Pune Municipal Corporation is a step forward in mitigating these demands.”

Generating hydrogen can help India achieve its decarbonisation goals while significantly reducing emissions from waste disposal.

"With this project, Pune city can reduce upto 2.5 million MT CO2e, more than 3.8 million MT waste would be diverted from the landfill and around more than 1,80,000 estimated households will be served directly. The Municipal solid waste (MSW) otherwise being dumped in low lying urban areas will be diverted, saving upto 689.5 cubic meter space every day and 25.16 hectare of precious land per year,” the official statement from Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL) said

Tata Projects is sharpening its focus on the green hydrogen

 In order to provide engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) solutions for green hydrogen plants, Pai stated that the company was developing its capacity to do so, reports energynews.

In a new project including the development of EPC solutions in collaboration with the Indian Oil Corp., the Tata Group intends to enter the green hydrogen market.

Leading Indian energy firms like Adani and Reliance Industries are making historic investments in green energy. Over the next five years, Tata Power Co. plans to invest more than $9.5 billion in renewable energy in an effort to nearly increase the proportion of clean energy in its portfolio.

One of the biggest stakeholders in renewable energy in India, Tata, is positioned Tata Power at the forefront to meet the evolving needs of the country’s renewable energy agenda. The Tata Group’s main objective is to provide the nation with clean, renewable energy derived from wind and solar energy.

A bill mandating the use of non-fossil energy sources like biomass, ethanol, and green hydrogen was approved by India’s Parliament in December. The Act includes measures to support renewable energy and the formation of a domestic carbon market to combat climate change, as well as penalties for violations by industrial units or boats as well as on manufacturers if a vehicle does not comply with fuel consumption rules.

No.2 in India? H2E Power to start producing electrolysers from April

Pune-based H2E Power Systems expects to start manufacturing electrolysers for producing green hydrogen from April, reports Business Line.

The company’s founder and CEO, Siddharth Mayur, has told the paper that it would manufacture electrolysers with all the four technologies — alkaline, proton exchange membrane, solid oxide and anion exchange membrane — spending $40 million for that purpose. The first plant, for 50 MW, slated to be commissioned in April, is coming up at Jalgaon in Maharashtra. 

Mayur said while the manufacturing infrastructure would be set up for 1 GW of electrolysers, H2E Power would start with 50 MW and move to 200 MW next year. Mayur said H2E Power has developed the technologies, though with technical help from the German Fraunhofer Institute. H2E Power owns the intellectual property. He said the company would showcase its 500 kW AEM electrolyser at the Hannover Messe fair, which is to be held in April.  AEM is an emerging technology, which is said to have the best of the cheap alkaline and the efficient PEM. Alkaline is said to be not-so-safe; PEM needs costly platinum group metals.

H2E Power is financially backed by the Poonawala family that owns the vaccine manufacturer, Serum Institute of India. The family has an undisclosed stake in H2E Power.

Govt to take the lead in green hydrogen transition, unhappy with the West

From the informal conversations of the Indian energy minister, R K Singh, with journalists in Delhi, it appears that the government intends to take the lead in transition to green hydrogen.

Quoting the minister, the Mint reports that the Government would take up pilot projects for utilization of green hydrogen in shipping, road transport and production of green stee.

By 2027, two ships would be retrofit to run on green hydrogen and the required supply chain, port infrastructure, green ammonia bunkers and re-fueling facilities would be set up in the country, under the mission. 

Also, the Government plans to introduce phased deployment of hydrogen-fueled buses and trucks. In another pilot project, support would be provided to two steel plants blending or utilization of green hydrogen. 

Unhappy with West

The paper also quotes the minister as saying that the "huge subsidies" given by the developed world for the production of green hydrogen "would pose hurdles for Indian manufacturers".

The minister said: “The only challenge which the Indian industry faces is the huge subsidies announced by some developed countries for the manufacture of green hydrogen. We believe that it would be a distorting step which I think is actionable under WTO rules. He called upon the developed world should procure green hydrogen and green ammonia on a competitive basis.

Not enough renewable energy to get to 5 mt of green hydrogen

In a recent seminar in Chennai, the National Chemical Laboratory, which is a public funded research lab, based in Pune, outlined what it would take to produce 5 mt of green hydrogen. 

According to the lab’s Director, Dr Ashish Lele, 5 mt means the following: 

1. * 32 GW of electrolyser capacity (which is at sharp variance with the ‘15 GW’ mentioned by India’s energy minister, R K Singh 

2. * 115 million liters a day of water 

3. * 90 GW of solar and 38 GW of wind (the government of India has generally said ‘125 GW of renewable energy’) 

4. * 340,000 hectares of land 

5. * $86 billion of investments 

These, Lele said, would help avoid 30-40 million tons of carbon dioxide (government of India puts this at 50 m t) and save Rs 60,000 crore ($7.3 billion) of natural gas imports (government of India said ‘save Rs 100,000 crore [$12.15 billion] of fossil fuels.)  

India today has 62 GW of solar and 42 GW of wind, or 104 GW between the two. If 125 GW is to come up, by 2030, only for electrolysers it means doubling of existing capacity in 7 years—18 GW a year. This is a very tough task, nearly impossible, especially given that many of the current policies are not conducive for renewable energy. 

 

Indian cabinet approves $2.35 billion grant for green hydrogen, aims 5 mt by 2030

On January 4, 2023, the Indian government announced its National Green Hydrogen Mission, the core of which is the financial support by the government for setting up electrolyser plants, producing green hydrogen, pilot project, research and development and other “mission components” The total outlay for this, which will be dispensed over the years, is Rs 19,400 crore, or $ 2.357 billion. 

Calling it ‘Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition’, or SIGHT, the government said that the mission would engender green hydrogen capacity of 5 million tons by 2030—5 mt is the current production of hydrogen in India today, though not through ‘green’ means. 

The government reckons that the program would make way for an estimated $86 billion of investments in the green hydrogen sector, produce 600,000 new jobs, reduce fossil fuel imports of $12 billion in value and annually avoid 50 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. 

A press release of the government recognizes that there is more work to be done from the government’s side. It promises to do them in due course. “The Mission will facilitate demand creation, production, utilization and export of Green Hydrogen.  Under the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Program (SIGHT), two distinct financial incentive mechanisms – targeting domestic manufacturing of electrolysers and production of Green Hydrogen – will be provided under the Mission.  The Mission will also support pilot projects in emerging end-use sectors and production pathways.  Regions capable of supporting large scale production and/or utilization of Hydrogen will be identified and developed as Green Hydrogen Hubs.” 

“An enabling policy framework will be developed to support establishment of Green Hydrogen ecosystem.   A robust Standards and Regulations framework will be also developed.  Further, a public-private partnership framework for R&D (Strategic Hydrogen Innovation Partnership – SHIP) will be facilitated under the Mission; R&D projects will be goal-oriented, time bound, and suitably scaled up to develop globally competitive technologies.  A coordinated skill development program will also be undertaken under the Mission.”