Government Identifies Ten Highway Stretches for Green Hydrogen Truck Deployment to Combat Pollution

The Indian government has pinpointed ten highway sections across the nation for the operation of trucks powered by green hydrogen, aiming to cut down on vehicle emissions, as stated by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. These routes will feature hydrogen refuelling stations established by Indian Oil and Reliance Petroleum.

Gadkari highlighted that Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, and Volvo have already commenced the production of hydrogen-powered trucks. The selected highway routes include Greater Noida-Delhi-Agra, Bhubaneswar-Puri-Konark, Ahmedabad-Vadodara-Surat, Sahibabad-Faridabad-Delhi, Jamshedpur-Kalinganagar, Thiruvananthapuram-Kochi, and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad, among others.

Green Hydrogen and Infrastructure Development

The minister emphasised that climate change poses a significant challenge for India. He mentioned that enhancing infrastructure is crucial for India to achieve its goal of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy and the third-largest economy globally. Gadkari also pointed out India's potential to become the largest exporter of green hydrogen.

According to Gadkari, India's logistics costs are expected to drop to single digits by December this year. He noted that studies conducted by IIM Bangalore, IIT Chennai, and IIT Kanpur revealed a 6 per cent reduction in India's road logistics costs.

Reducing Logistics Costs

Previously, India's logistics costs were around 14-16 per cent, compared to 8 per cent in China and 12 per cent in the US and European Union. The government's objective is to make India's automobile industry the leading one globally within the next five years.

Gadkari stated, "The most important achievement is that IIM Bangalore, IIT Chennai and IIT Kanpur conducted studies, and all three said that India's road logistics costs have reduced by 6 per cent."

This initiative reflects India's commitment to sustainable development while addressing environmental concerns. By focusing on green hydrogen technology and improving infrastructure, India aims to enhance its economic position on the world stage.

With inputs from PTI