City may soon have green fuel even cleaner than CNG

City may soon have green fuel even cleaner than CNG

News:

1. Delhi will replace the CNG with H-CNG (hydrogen CNG) as a clean alternative fuel with testing to begin in September end.

Important Facts:

2. The steps has been taken following the recommendations by the Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority (EPCA) to the Supreme Court.

3. SC had recently directed the Delhi government to explore the feasibility of introducing H-fuel cell buses.

4. The EPCA has, however, observed that instead of going for Hydrogen-fuel cell buses, H-CNG can be an intermediate solution.

5. In the report submitted to the Supreme Court, EPCA has stated that,

• H-CNG, a mixture of Hydrogen and compressed natural gas (CNG), will lead to reduction of up to 70 % CO emissions and 15 % hydrocarbon emissions.
• Worldwide hydrogen is being blended with natural gas and then compressed to dispense into vehicles.
• US, Brazil, Canada, South Korea have all conducted trials and already using this hybrid fuel and found that, there are reduction in emissions from buses.
• Transition to H-CNG can be seamless as the existing infrastructure comprising buses, piping network and dispensing stations runs on CNG.
• The entire bus fleet of Delhi will run on Hydrogen CNG fuel by 2020-21.
• Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) R&D Centre with IGL and Delhi transport department, be directed to give a plan for use of H-CNG in the entire bus fleet of the city, with a phased in schedule (including demonstration and tests to reduce NOx emissions).
• This schedule should provide for all steps to be taken within a period of 2-3 years.
• The H-CNG plan, after review by the SC, can be supported through the Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) funds.

6. Experts has stated that, with minimal changes, even a reduction in NOx levels is possible.

7. The MoPNG and IOCL have now been asked to respond to the recommendations by the SC.

8. After testing H-CNG in 50 buses in a depot, the fleet is likely to hit the road by August 2019.

9. Test results will then be presented in front of Supreme Court.