India's Hydrogen
Energy Program
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By Venki Raman
President, Protium Energy
Venki Raman, President of Protium Energy Technologies and
a Trustee of the NHA made several trips to India recently as a US delegate to
an India-US Forum on Energy Technology R&D Cooperation, and as an invited
speaker and panelist at the 4th International Symposium on Fuels & Lubricants.
He traveled extensively in India and met key government ministries, industrial,
academic and research organizations who are involved in India's Hydrogen Program.
This is a brief summary of his key findings.
India has been experiencing rapid economic growth since a decade ago when the
government started to privatize previously state-run industrial sectors of its
economy and to allow foreign direct investment. Already India is the 4th largest
economy in the world and the 6th largest oil consumer. With its economy growing
at a rate of over 7%, India is expected to become the 3rd largest economy in the
world by 2015. India's energy consumption tripled, from 4.16 quadrillion Btu (quads)
in 1980 to 12.8 quads in 2001. Higher energy consumption in the industrial, transportation,
and residential sectors continues to drive India's energy usage upwards at a faster
rate even than China. Large amounts of oil and gas are needed to fuel and sustain
this dramatic growth in economic prosperity. The nation imports some 70% of its
oil needs at a cost of over $25 billion per year, and this is forecast to grow
to 85% by 2024. At the same time, one of the greatest challenges that India faces
is providing people in rural areas with access to energy.
Indians are growing increasingly concerned about the environment and air quality.
Industrialization and urbanization have resulted in a serious deterioration of
air quality. There are more than 20 cities with populations of at least 1 million,
and some of them--including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata-- rank among the
world's worst in urban air quality. The World Health Organization has estimated
that the medical costs to the residents of Delhi (population about 15 million)
due to pollution is about $2.5 billion per year.
The fact that India is the only country in the world with a separate government
ministry dedicated to non-conventional energy sources may be indicative of the
level of importance placed on renewable energy sources in addressing the national
energy needs. The Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES) has one of
the largest national programs to promote the use of solar energy. Renewable energy
sources such as biofuels (biomethane, biodiesel etc.), solar, wind, and hydropower
are seen as the key to providing rural areas with energy. Also, the replacement
of coal- and other fossil fuel-based electricity with renewable energy sources
is seen as a way of reducing air pollution while meeting the growing energy needs
of the country's large metropolitan areas.
The dual concerns of secure, sustainable energy supplies and environmental quality
have led India to develop a coordinated National Hydrogen Energy program as part
of its overall energy strategies. The MNES has created a National Hydrogen Energy
Board (NHEB) comprised of very senior representatives from industry, government,
academia, and research institutions, charged with the responsibility of preparing
a National Hydrogen Energy Road Map and overseeing its implementation. The NHEB
Steering Group is chaired by Mr. Ratan Tata who heads one of the largest industrial
conglomerates in India, the Tata Group. In the words of Mr. Tata "I think
we are moving towards the realization that hydrogen is going to be an important
fuel". Five expert groups have been formed to address production, storage,
transportation applications, power applications and systems integration.
While the
integrated Hydrogen Energy Roadmap has not yet been completed, some preliminary
recommendations by the expert group on transportation applications have been made
public. The initial focus in India will be on the use of hydrogen internal combustion
engine (ICE) technology, starting with hydrogen blends of 5-10% in existing CNG
vehicles and by 2007, increasing that ratio to 30 percent. This will be followed
by "neat" hydrogen ICEs, and then fuel cell vehicles in the long term.
This strategy is motivated by the view that India is some 10-20 years behind the
rest of the world in hydrogen vehicles, and the strong desire to catch-up via
rapid introduction of technologies with short development cycles into the market.
Meanwhile it is expected that superior fuel cell technology will be developed
as a result of continuing R&D, and applied when it is ready. A unique aspect
of India's transport scenario is the large ratio of 2- and 3-wheel vehicles versus
personal cars. The latter are very popular as low cost personal transportation
and commercial vehicles as well as for taxi service throughout India. About 84%
of the 6.3 million vehicles sold per year in India are 2- and 3-wheel vehicles.
Thus conversion of these vehicles to run on hydrogen is an important focus area.
To start with a pilot project is planned involving the addition of 5-10% hydrogen
to about 50 buses of the existing Delhi CNG bus fleet. Today Delhi claims to have
the largest all-CNG public bus transport fleet in the world with over 10,000 buses.
There are over 90,000 vehicles of all types in Delhi running on CNG and some 125
CNG fuel stations to refuel them. It is impressive when one considers that all
of this has been accomplished in only about 5 years. These actions were a direct
result of a 1998 Supreme Court of India order to switch over all buses, taxis
and commercial vehicles from diesel to CNG to comply with vehicle emissions regulations,
when it ruled in favor of a suit brought against the Delhi metropolitan government
by concerned environmental and public interest groups. Since then, there has been
a marked improvement in the ambient air quality particularly with respect to particulate
matter and CO although much more remains to be done in oxides of nitrogen etc.
Mr. Dilip Chenoy, the executive Director of the Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturers
(SIAM), referring to the implementation of CNG fuel use, called Delhi "the
California of India".
By 2010 there are plans to have 1000 hydrogen powered vehicles on the road, of
which 800 will be 3-wheelers and 200 buses with participation of the major Indian
auto manufacturers. Metal hydride storage will be used for small 3-wheelers while
compressed gas storage tanks will be used for large 3-wheelers and buses. The
auto manufacturers are expected to spend at least 5.0 billion rupees ($116 million)
for this over the next five years.
The Indian government will provide 2.5 billion rupees ($58 million) to fund hydrogen
and fuel cell projects over the next three years according to Dr. S.K. Chopra,
Senior Adviser official in the MNES. At present there are 23 R&D projects
underway in different institutions across India. Dr. Chopra says that various
organizations are working together in a team-India spirit and hope to emerge as
world leaders in this technology. The R&D areas include bio-production from
organic wastes and bagasse (residue from cane sugar production), hydrogen storage
in metal hydrides and carbon nanostructures, applications such as catalytic combustors,
air conditioners, and hydrogen/diesel generator sets. Several R&D groups around
India are also actively engaged in fuel cell research. In the long term biomass
and coal gasification, as well as nuclear power routes to hydrogen will be considered.
The NHEB also recommended setting up a fund of 2 billion rupees ($47 million)
to provide low interest loans at 3 per cent interest rate and 100 per cent depreciation
on investments in hydrogen energy development. Automobile manufacturers such as
Ashok-Leyland, Tata Motors and Mahindra Motors, said they were encouraged by the
partnership with the government to develop new energy sources. India's largest
refiner, Indian Oil Corp, and leading automobile maker Mahindra Motors signed
an agreement to build a hydrogen-powered engine.
India is also interested in international collaboration in developing hydrogen
energy technologies. India recently publicly invited foreign companies to join
with Indian businesses in R&D of hydrogen technology and infrastructure. The
MNES said that foreign companies are welcome to set up wholly-owned subsidiaries
or joint ventures with Indian partners for financial and/or technical collaboration
in new and renewable energy, including hydrogen energy. India is one of 15 countries
that have joined the International Partnership for a Hydrogen Economy (IPHE).
There are a couple
of recent examples of NHA members partnering with Indian companies on hydrogen
development. Energy Conversion Devices (ECD) of Michigan has teamed up with Bajaj
Auto of India to convert a 3-wheeler to run on hydrogen with a metal hydride onboard
storage tank. A recent announcement stated that Hydrogenics would be supplying
fuel cells to Reva Motors an electric car manufacturer in Bangalore. In the first
phase 2 fuel cell electric cars will be built after which a fleet of 10-20 fuel
cell cars will be produced for a pilot project with IOC in Delhi and at the Taj
Mahal, in Agra. Last year Reva Motors displayed their small electric car fitted
with a Ballard Nexa fuel cell.
India is at an early stage in hydrogen energy and fuel cell R&D but the level
of interest among various stakeholders is impressive. As India's Hydrogen Program
is formalized and advances there should be numerous opportunities for collaboration
and partnership for NHA members with various Indian groups that are active in
this field.
© 2005. All Rights Reserved. A Publication of the National
Hydrogen Association.
This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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