India To Pilot Hydrogen Buses, Trucks On 10 Routes: Nitin Gadkari

· Free Press Journal

India will pilot hydrogen-powered buses and trucks on 10 roads across the country, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday, adding that major companies, including Reliance Industries, Tata Group, NTPC and Ashok Leyland, have joined the initiative.

"We have undertaken a pilot project under which hydrogen buses and trucks will start operating on 10 roads in India. Reliance, Tata, NTPC, Ashok Leyland and many others have joined hands with us for this. We have started making hydrogen," Gadkari said.

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The minister was speaking at the launch of the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R Flex-Fuel in New Delhi, where Hardeep Singh Puri also addressed the gathering.

Gadkari said India now has the potential to transform from an energy-importing nation into an energy-exporting one, citing progress in ethanol, hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

"We now have the potential to go from an energy importing nation to an energy exporting nation," he said.

Push for Sustainable Aviation Fuel

On sustainable aviation fuel, Gadkari said India is currently producing 78,000 tonnes annually and could become a net exporter of SAF within two years.

He added that the government aims to eventually power fighter jets and helicopters using sustainable aviation fuel.

"After ethanol, we will start working on sustainable aviation fuel. We want our fighter jets and helicopters to work on SAF. We can become a nation exporting SAF within two years," he said, describing hydrogen as "a fuel for the future."

Ethanol and Flex-Fuel Ecosystem Expands

Gadkari also addressed concerns about ethanol, saying the participation of major corporations demonstrates confidence in the fuel's long-term viability.

"There have been many misconceptions about ethanol. But when big companies are working with ethanol, they must have thought it through," he said.

Meanwhile, Puri said increases in petrol and diesel prices in India have remained relatively modest compared with most countries despite global geopolitical disruptions.

India Among Nations With Lowest Fuel Price Rise, Says Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri

He added that flex-fuel vehicles are expected to expand rapidly after E85, a fuel blend containing up to 85% ethanol, was recognised as the mono-fuel standard under Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specifications.

The government plans to begin with around 50-100 ethanol dispensing stations across the Delhi-NCR and Mumbai-Pune-Nagpur corridors and expand the network to 500 stations by December this year.

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