India launches first pilot project for hydrogen-fueled vehicles

NEW DELHI: The Indian government launched on Tuesday the first of its pilot projects to operate hydrogen-powered buses and trucks across the country under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

Introduced in 2023, with an allocated fund of $2.4 billion, the green hydrogen mission aims to promote the production and use of green hydrogen, which is seen as a critical part of India’s strategy to reduce carbon emissions and achieve its climate goals.

It seeks to make India a global hub for the production of green hydrogen, which all over the world is emerging as a future alternative to fossil fuels.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said in a statement that it had approved five pilot projects, comprising a total of 37 buses and trucks and nine hydrogen refueling stations.

The vehicles will operate on 10 different routes across the country, connecting major cities and regions, including greater Noida, Delhi, and Agra — home to India’s top monument and tourist site, the Taj Mahal — in the north, parts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh states in eastern India along the Bay of Bengal coast, several cities in Gujarat state and the financial hub of Mumbai along the western coast, and Kochi in the southwest.

“The vehicles that will be deployed for the trial include 15 hydrogen fuel cell-based vehicles and 22 hydrogen internal combustion engine-based vehicles,” the ministry said.

“The total financial support for selected projects made available will be around Rs. 208 crore ($24 million) from the government of India. These pilot projects are likely to be commissioned in the next 18-24 months, paving the way to the scaleup of such technologies in India.”

The first three such trucks were deployed in New Delhi on Tuesday by TATA Motors and Indian Oil Corp. — two of the eight private and state companies selected by the government for the project.

“Today we are going to flag off the world’s first large-scale hydrogen truck trial,” Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said during the launching ceremony.

“We are the first in the world now. We are making lots of experiments, successful experiments … Our mission is to make India No. 1 in the world as far as hydrogen is concerned, particularly the green hydrogen.”

LONDON: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is “laser-focused” on securing peace in Ukraine after US President Donald Trump suspended military aid to Kyiv, Britain’s deputy prime minister said Tuesday.
Angela Rayner said the pause was “a matter for” the United States and it had not changed Starmer’s approach toward trying to find a suitable ceasefire to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“He’s laser focused on getting peace. He won’t be derailed by announcements,” Rayner told BBC Radio after being asked for her reaction to Trump’s announcement.
She added that the British Labour government was “focused on support for Ukraine” and “bringing the US around the table alongside our European partners and Ukraine.”
“We’ve put our money where our mouth is and stepped up our support for Ukraine through air defense, through military capabilities, and through the military aid we give year upon year,” Rayner said.
Starmer is seeking to tread a fine line between backing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and keeping Trump onside as Europe seeks security guarantees in the event of an end to the war.
“He won’t be bounced by particular announcements overnight,” Rayner told ITV television.
“He will continue to work with our strong allies to get the peace for Ukraine and for Europe,” she added, describing the UK as an “honest broker.”
The UK’s main opposition leader, Kemi Badenoch, said Britain and Europe must “rearm faster” following Trump’s announcement.
“The news overnight that America is halting military aid to Ukraine is profoundly worrying,” she wrote on X.
“It is clear that Britain and Europe must rearm much faster if we want to provide Ukraine with more than just warm words of support.
“We must work to keep America in, and Russia out.”