Under the flagship programs of the Government, โAdvanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Batteriesโ and โNational Hydrogen Missionโ, to cut down on the Green House Gas (GHG) emission under Paris Climate Agreement 2015 and โMission Net Zero Carbon Emission Railwayโ by 2030, Indian Railways are set to run trains on hydrogen fuel-based technology.
โWeโll do retrofitting on DEMU trains which run on 89 km track between Haryanaโs Jind and Sonipat. A pre-bid conference for this will be held on August 17 and we hope that process will finish by October 5,โ ADG PRO Rajiv Jain told ANI.
Further, SK Saxena, CEO of Railway Energy Management Company Limited added that hydrogen fuel is the cleanest fuel. โWeโll remove the diesel generator and install a hydrogen fuel cell. Input will change to hydrogen fuel from diesel. Itโll be the cleanest form of fuel. If hydrogen is generated from solar itโll be called green power,โ he said.
In a press release on Saturday, the Ministry of Railways said, โThere has been recent budgetary pronouncement to kick off the concept of Hydrogen Mobility in the Country. Accepting it as a challenge, the Indian Railways Organization of Alternate Fuel (IROAF), Green Fuel vertical of Indian Railways, has invited the bids for Hydrogen Fuel Cell-based Train on Railways Network. The project shall commence in 89km Sonipat-Jind section of Northern Railway.โ
Highlighting that Rs 2.3 crore will be saved annually due to the project, the ministry said, โInitially, 2 DEMU rakes will be converted and later, 2 Hybrid locos will be converted based on Hydrogen Fuel cell power movement. There will be no change in the driving console. Also, the project will lead to saving of Rs 2.3 Cr annually.โ