The Hindu Business Line : Govt to allocate Rs 250 crore for hydrogen energy projects

Mr Vilas Muttemwar, Minister of State (independent charge) for Non-Conventional Energy Sources, sharing a moment with Mr Ratan Tata, as Mr Sunil Kant Munjal, CII President, looks on at the second meeting of National Hydrogen Energy Board in the Capital on Wednesday. — Kamal Narang

New Delhi , Sept. 15

THE Government has decided to allocate Rs 250 crore for projects taken up under the hydrogen energy programme over the next three years.

The projects include Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC) plan to make available hydrogen-blended CNG fuel in Delhi, Mathura and Faridabad by June 2005.

The Planning Commission has also recommended an additional corpus fund of Rs 200 crore. This was decided in the second meeting of the National Hydrogen Energy Board (NHEB) set up by the Government.

The NHEB discussed three proposals — one each from the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, The Society for Indian Automobile Manufacturers and the Atomic Energy Commission.

The Society for Indian Automobile Manufacturers has submitted a proposal as per which it will roll out 1,000 fuel-cell-based vehicles by 2008. The industry body has sought Rs 150 crore for the proposal.

"The Atomic Energy Commission has submitted a long-term proposal to produce hydrogen by thermal splitting of water. The heat produced as a by-product of nuclear reactors can be used to split water and produce hydrogen," informed Dr S.K. Chopra, Senior Advisor in the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources while briefing the media after the NHEB meeting.

The meeting was chaired by the Minister for Non-Conventional Energy Sources, Mr V. Muttemwar. It was attended by Planning Commission Member (Energy) Mr Kirit Parikh; Tata Sons' Chairman, Mr Ratan Tata; Mahindra & Mahindra's Vice-President, Mr A. Mahindra; CII President, Mr S.K. Munjal; and Assocham President, Mr M.K. Sanghi, among others.

"The Planning Commission has accepted, in principle, to allocate Rs 250 crore over the next three years for the projects," said Dr Chopra.

"By June 2005, some gas stations in New Delhi, Faridabad and Mathura will start blending ten per cent hydrogen with CNG. This will reduce the pollution levels caused by the fumes generated from the vehicles," said Dr Chopra. IOC has sought Rs 25 crore for the project.

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