It has been a month since the launch of the first hydrogen train of the Indian Railways. Now, the railways is looking for affordable green hydrogen alternatives to run more such trains. The initial target is to run 35 hydrogen trains. These trains will mainly run in heritage and hilly areas. They will run in areas where the railways do not have electrification facilities.
The railways is taking several steps to increase efficiency and reduce costs. This includes providing offtake assurance to manufacturers. This will increase the number of hydrogen suppliers. According to official data, hydrogen trains have completed more than 2,500 km of commercial operations till early August. India currently operates the world’s most powerful hydrogen train. These trains have 10 coaches and a propulsion system of 3,200 hp. India has developed special equipment and supply facilities for such trains. The train is powered by proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology.
The train runs on electricity generated through this technology. It is pollution-free as only water vapor is emitted from it. To reduce the cost of green hydrogen, the government has set a target of investing Rs 17,490 crore by 2029-30 under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. Apart from this, incentives are also being given for the production of electrolyzers.
In February this year, India set a new milestone by acquiring green hydrogen at the lowest price of Rs 279 per kg. The domestic market is targeting to produce 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030. A senior railway official said that the fuel will become even cheaper in the coming days due to the use of affordable renewable energy and government support. The plan is not just to run trains, but also to develop the country as a green hydrogen hub and achieve climate change goals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month flagged off the country’s first green hydrogen train on the Jind-Sonepat section of the Northern Railway. Only a few countries in the world are running such trains. Germany was the first country to run such a passenger train. China also runs such trains. The trains of this class running in the global market have only 2-3 coaches. India has 10 of them. As a result, India is considered to be the country running the longest green hydrogen train in the world. Similarly, this year, Amrit Bharat 3.0 train will come with AC coaches.
