India’s largest energy conglomerate NTPC has awarded the project for setting up the country’s first green hydrogen fueling station in Leh, Ladakh to $1.3 billion Amara Raja group company, Amara Raja Power Systems Ltd.
The move is significant as the project would usher in a new era of emission-free transport in and around Leh region, and India would be amongst the few countries to take a lead in this green mobility space.
To begin with, NTPC plans to ply five hydrogen fuel cell buses in the region.
This pilot project is being set up in Leh’s extreme conditions at a height of 3600 mts above sea level with a temperature variation of – 14 degrees to + 20 degrees Celsius.
On the basis of its technical expertise, Amara Raja Power Systems has been selected to execute this project.
This is one of the first initiatives by the government in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of achieving net-zero by 2070. As part of the National Hydrogen Energy Mission, this would be a precursor to large-scale green hydrogen mobility and storage projects and would be useful for studying and deploying multiple fueling stations across the length and breadth of the country.
Commenting on winning the project, Vikramadithya Gourineni, Executive Director of Amara Raja, said “we have been in the power systems and energy storage business for three decades and through this time we have constantly endeavored to be at the cutting edge of technology. The potential for Hydrogen as an energy source of the future is substantial and projects such as these are critical to showcase this. We are honored to continue to serve NTPC as a trusted contractor.”
“This challenging project will reaffirm our EPC expertise, and we are very excited about being the first to enter the green hydrogen infrastructure space,” added Dwarakanadha Reddy, Business Head of the EPC division.
Moreover, this pilot project is expected to produce a minimum of 80kg/day of 99.97 per cent pure hydrogen, which will be compressed, stored and dispensed.
Amara Raja is amongst the country’s leading business conglomerates with interests spanning verticals of lead-acid batteries, power conversion products, sheet metal products, plastic molding, precision components, electronic manufacturing services, infrastructure development, industrial services, food processing, media and entertainment. It is one of the largest automotive and industrial battery manufacturers in the country and exports its products to many countries globally.
SOURCE: energetica INDIA
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