The Hindu Business Line : Hydrogen Energy Board to discuss panel proposals

THE National Hydrogen Energy Board (NHEB), which is meeting here on Wednesday under the chairmanship of the Minister for Non-Conventional Energy Sources, Mr Vilas Muttemwar, is to take up the recommendations of the Group on Hydrogen Energy for consideration and approval.

The Group on Hydrogen Energy, set up by the Government last year, has recommended, among other things, the setting up of demonstration projects on hydrogen production, storage and distribution and its applications in decentralised power generation and automobiles. Several fiscal and financial measures, including the provision of Rs 250 crore in the next three years, have been recommended by the group.

At its meeting, the second since its constitution, the Board is also scheduled to consider three proposals on the production of hydrogen from the nuclear route, a demonstration project on establishment of hydrogen infrastructure in and around the capital and applications of hydrogen energy in automobiles.

According to an official statement here, the meeting is to be attended, among others, by Mr Kirit Parikh, Member (Energy), Planning Commission; Mr Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Sons; Mr A. Mahindra, Vice-President, Mahindra & Mahindra; Mr S.K. Munjal, President, CII; Mr A.C. Muthaiah, former President, FICCI; Mr Mahindra K. Sanghi, President, Assocham; Dr Anil Kakodkar, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, Secretaries of the concerned Ministries and leading experts.

The NHEB was set up to guide the preparation and implementation of a national hydrogen energy road map and programme in the country. At its first meeting in February this year, it was decided to accelerate the hydrogen energy programme through public-private partnership. For this purpose, a steering group was set up under the chairmanship of Mr Ratan Tata to prepare the road map on different aspects of hydrogen energy and suggest modalities for the programme.

Hydrogen is a clean fuel, an efficient energy carrier and the energy content in hydrogen is the highest for any known fuel. It is, therefore, considered to be a potential alternative to fossil fuels, which can provide clean electricity and heat energy. It is envisaged that hydrogen will be available for a wide range of applications, including power generation, transport and heating applications.

As for its production, the gas can be produced from water, biomass, organic compounds and hydrocarbons such as petrol, natural gas, methanol and propane. It can be used directly as a fuel in internal combustion engines and turbines and can also be blended with diesel and CNG. Hydrogen is also used in fuel cells to produce electricity.

Prototype hydrogen vehicles such as motorcycle, three-wheeler, fuel cell car and van and hydrogen-powered generators have been demonstrated in the country. In the next phase, these applications are to be put on extensive field trials along with industry.

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