As India progresses towards greener, less emission based travel systems, Railways are next in line. India, with time is launching projects that will also focus on the environment. Indian Railways plans to deploy hydrogen powered trains on a few routes by December of this year.
Following China’s introduction of what are deemed as the “greenest trains in the world,” Asia’s first hydrogen trains, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that Indian Railways would introduce domestic hydrogen-powered trains by December 2023. Even though the minister had previously repeatedly confirmed the timeframe. For the first time he said that by December, the hydrogen train will be operating on its narrow gauge heritage routes, making them “fully green.” The trains will therefore run along the same lines as those in China and Germany, according to Tuesday’s statement from Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
The Northern Railway workshop is producing a prototype hydrogen fuel-powered train as part of a trial project. On the Haryana portion between Sonipat and Jind, it will therefore undergo testing.
Hydrogen Trains are more efficient:
The Coradia iLint from Germany is the first passenger train in the world to use a hydrogen fuel cell. This zero-emission train produces low noise levels, which only produces steam and condensed water as exhaust. This train can go 1000 km at 140 kmph in a single trip. Germany has been testing this train since 2018.
The first hydrogen-powered trains in Asia are also recently introduced by China for the Urban Railways. According to reports, it has a top speed of 160 kmph and a range of 600 km.
It is safe to say that Indian versions of the trains will as efficient or maybe even more efficient. This will smoothen the Indian railways and fastrack services in Indian Railways.
NTPC starts working on Green Hydrogen Blending in Surat:
The largest power producer in India, NTPC Ltd., has started the nation’s first green hydrogen blending operation.
The NTPC Kawas township’s piped natural gas (PNG) network has started blending green hydrogen, the company announced in a statement on Tuesday (3 January).
The project is a collaboration between Gujarat Gas Limited and NTPC (GGL).
In the presence of several top executives from NTPC Kawas and GGL, P. Ram Prasad, Head of Project, Kawas, started the first molecule of green hydrogen from the project.
For more news, click here.
