Union Minister unveils India’s first truly indigenously developed Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus developed by KPIT-CSIR in Pune

Source: The post is based on the article “Union Minister unveils India’s first truly indigenously developed Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus developed by KPIT-CSIR in Pune” published in PIB on 21st August 2022.

What is the News?

Union Minister of Science & Technology has launched India’s first truly indigenously developed Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus.

About Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus

Developed by: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and private firm KPIT Limited.

Working Process: The fuel cell utilizes Hydrogen and Air to generate electricity to power the bus and the only effluent from the bus is water, therefore making it possibly the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation.

What are the advantages of fuel cells?

Lower Cost: The High efficiency of fuel cell vehicles and the high energy density of hydrogen ensures that the operational costs in rupees per kilometre for fuel cell trucks and buses are lower than diesel-powered vehicles and this can bring freight revolution in India. 

Zero Greenhouse gas emissions: Fuel Cell vehicles also give zero greenhouse gas emissions. For comparison, a single diesel bus plying on long-distance routes typically emits 100 tons of CO2 annually and there are over a million such buses in India. 

Excellent means to eliminate on-road emissions: About 12-14% of CO2 emissions and particulate emissions come from diesel-powered heavy commercial vehicles and these are decentralized emissions and hence difficult to capture. Hence, hydrogen-fuelled vehicles provide an excellent means to eliminate the on-road emissions from this sector. 

About the Bisphenol-A pilot plant in CSIR-NCL 

The Union Minister also inaugurated a Bisphenol A(BPA) pilot plant by setup by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Chemical Laboratory(CSIR-NCL).

What is Bisphenol A and what is the significance of this development?

Bisphenol A(BPA) is a chemical produced in large quantities for use primarily in the production of polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resins and other engineering plastics.

The entire global market for Bisphenol-A is projected to reach 7.1 Million Tons by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 2% over the analysis period 2020-2027. 

The entire estimated annual demand of 1,35,000 tons in India is imported today. Hence, this pilot plant will enable import substitution of this important raw material and help in India’s Atmanirbhar initiative.