Hydrogen is a particularly gentle molecule. It’s also very risky. Transportation of hydrogen entails issues of value and security. Sometimes transporting 8 kg of hydrogen compressed at 350 bar strain would require a type-III cylinder with quantity of 320 litres and weight of 140 kg.
Clearly one ought to keep away from, so far as potential, transportation of hydrogen besides when it’s executed by means of pipes much like the pure gasoline. There may be some limitation right here by way of materials compatibility for hydrogen dealing with. Fortunately inexperienced hydrogen whether or not from electrolysis or from biomass may be generated and consumed domestically, in a decentralized manner. This avoids the necessity for important transport and storage. Secure applied sciences can be found globally for shelling out hydrogen. I imagine that very shortly many firms will begin manufacturing shelling out stations within the nation. This may very well be a sexy space for commercialization and for home analysis to deliver down value.
Hydrogen consumption
Hydrogen can be utilized for transportation in a number of methods. It may be immediately injected into the present inner combustion engines with some modifications. This technique has the benefit of straightforward implementation. Nonetheless, this will not be the cleanest as a result of hydrogen is blended with diesel or biodiesel or pure gasoline which creates some on-location air pollution.
The opposite different is using gas cells. Gas cells make the most of hydrogen and oxygen (from air) to provide electrical energy. This electrical energy drives a motor which runs the automobile. The one output aside from electrical power is pure water. This can be a greener manner of power technology. Utilization of inexperienced hydrogen in gas cells is certainly the greenest of all choices. Use of hydrogen in a gas cell is extra environment friendly than use of hydrogen in an inner combustion engine. There are in all probability a dozen firms on the earth that make gas cells.
We’ve developed gas cells in India collaborating with CSIR labs. We’re assured that quickly gas cell manufacturing will decide up in India. With scale will come economies of scale and prices of gas cell programs will come down the way in which they’ve come down for photo voltaic cells. The gas cells developed by us are tuned for Indian circumstances and for Indian pockets.
Everyone knows that with the rise in scale, the prices of photo voltaic cells got here down by 70%-90% over a interval. There isn’t a motive why one thing comparable can not occur for gas cells. I imagine that in India we are going to obtain far decrease prices at a scale than may be achieved in the remainder of the world. Public coverage also can play a job on this.
Public coverage
Launch of ‘Nationwide Hydrogen Mission’ on August 15, 2021 by prime minister Narendra Modi and the latest approval for monetary outlay of INR 19,744 crore for the mission are actually very welcoming steps for the event of a hydrogen ecosystem within the nation. The federal government is making an in depth work plan, which is predicted by April 2023.
The federal government has carried out many schemes and has introduced coverage reforms which are crucial for remodeling the mobility sector. These embrace the FAME and FAME-II, the 100 Good Cities undertaking, PLI schemes, biofuels coverage and the scrappage coverage. Other than these, there are lots of state-level incentives, schemes and insurance policies offering tax waiver and funding help for the clear power technology in addition to sustainable mobility.
The Nationwide Hydrogen Mission will support additional in transferring in direction of sustainable mobility. The federal government has recognized 10 potential states that may very well be the important thing enablers in manufacturing inexperienced hydrogen in India to kickstart the Mission. These embrace Karnataka, Odisha, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. Kerala has already equipped for the change by means of numerous industrial collaborations, demonstration initiatives and infrastructure growth. Maharashtra can also be in discussions with business for establishing inexperienced hydrogen initiatives within the state.
To push it additional we would wish one nice public coverage help that may mandate electrification of all of the long-distance business transportation within the nation over the following 5 years – both by means of battery or by means of gas cell automobiles creating an enormous demand. The demand will enhance the manufacturing scale. The prices at excessive scale will make it economically viable by itself without having any important authorities help.
Past street transport
Although many of the developments in using Hydrogen gas cell know-how for transportation are seen in case of street transport, efforts are additionally being taken to discover using gas cells in different modes of transportation together with railways, ships, and plane. Inland waterways and cost-guards are perfect candidates for gas cell vessels. We’re working with the delivery business for growth of such gas cell vessels within the nation. Indian Railway can also be within the growth of gas cell trains and a few trials are already deliberate in India. I imagine even air journey will quickly transfer in direction of Hydrogen.
As talked about earlier, a gas cell automobile is an electrical automobile and due to this fact has all some great benefits of an electrical automobile. It’s inexperienced, silent and may considerably scale back the stress of the motive force. Furthermore, an electrical powertrain wants far fewer elements than an inner combustion engine-based powertrain. This reduces the complexity of producing and upkeep prices. Additionally, electrical automobiles sometimes are inclined to have built-in connectivity know-how due to the necessity for gas cell or battery situation monitoring. The identical system can be utilized to ship full connectivity in order that benefits reminiscent of automobile efficiency monitoring, autonomous driving and different security and good options may also be supplied.
With the developments taking place within the discipline of mobility, we’re sure that the long run may be very thrilling. Development within the fields of telecommunication, digital applied sciences and clear power options will go hand-in-hand within the transformation of mobility. FCEVs and inexperienced Hydrogen have a significant function to play on this transformation.
Past mobility, availability of inexperienced Hydrogen at reasonably priced worth may even remodel the opposite industries together with refinery, metal, cement and fertilizers. This may additional scale back our fossil gas import and also will make international markets obtainable on the phrase of inexperienced, sustainable options.
Encouraging growth of a inexperienced Hydrogen ecosystem will allow us to cater to our personal gas necessities by indigenous hydrogen manufacturing, and in addition to be the hydrogen exporter within the close to future. Contemplating the present international state of affairs, being power unbiased is extraordinarily necessary for our nationwide safety. Era of inexperienced hydrogen will generate earnings within the nation for not solely uncooked materials technology (biomass), however it may additionally give rise to very large financial exercise of establishing electrolyzers in addition to bio hydrogen crops. This may scale back the nation’s oil import invoice considerably and also will assist in assembly 30% of India’s COP commitments. This could actually be the sport changer!
After inner combustion engine and battery powered automobiles, Hydrogen gas cell-based automobiles is the third revolution within the discipline of mobility which is simply across the nook. Whereas we missed out on the possibility of changing into international leaders within the first two mobility revolutions, we’re assured that India can lead this third revolution.
The Authorities of India just lately introduced a Hydrogen mission with a provision for about INR 20,000 crore. A big a part of this may go for the promotion of hydrogen technology and consumption. Whereas the detailed mission will likely be introduced in April, we imagine that by means of dedicated bulk shopping for (like LED bulbs) or by means of PLI, manufacturing at scale will likely be initiated and this may make the hydrogen choice very value engaging.
From the invention of Zero to house journey/ Mangalyaan and the vaccine for COVID-19, India has showcased its potential to innovate and has contributed to the world’s progress. Equally, India also can set an instance for innovation and mass-scale adoption of gas cell automobiles and inexperienced Hydrogen manufacturing by making them cost-competitive to traditional automobiles.
A couple of a long time from now one can actually hope to have all transportation go electrical both by means of battery or by means of hydrogen. I’m sure that then we are going to all marvel why we use air pollution inflicting fuels to energy our transportation. We’ll in all probability take a look at the present age as a quite sad interval of our transportation evolution. The circumstances are ripe for a change. Absolutely the long run is right here!
(Ravi Pandit is the co-founder and chairman of KPIT Applied sciences. Kaustubh Pathak, Expertise Lead, KPIT Applied sciences, additionally contributed to this text.)
