Many manufacturers have turned to electrically powered engines, but is this possible for all automakers? For a company like JCB, which specializes in the manufacture of engines for heavy machinery, electric engines are just not good enough. This is because electric engines are incapable of producing the kind of power these heavy machines require. 

Replacing diesel engines with batteries in heavy-lifting equipment will amount to sacrificing power for less environmentally harmful emissions. And quite frankly, other brands can afford to make that sacrifice, but not JCB. Certain activities, like construction and agriculture, require machines with power, and that’s a fact. So JCB acknowledged the need for a peculiar solution to their dilemma. They realized they just had to make environmentally friendly engines by some means, but they couldn't afford to sacrifice the power of their engines.

JCB Embraces Hydrogen Fuel: A Game-Changer for Construction Machinery

To suffice these conditions, in 2020, JCB started working towards developing hydrogen-powered engines with similar power potentials as diesel engines but this time it was environmentally friendly. 

Video Courtesy: JCB Youtube

Now, barely a few years down the line, even though JCB has yet to commence the mass production of hydrogen engines, they have made immense progress. For JCB, hydrogen engines are the future, and they are championing this course. 

Reasons behind opting for Hydrogen Engine

In this article, we will take a look at JCB's hydrogen engine. We will also examine why JCB has opted for hydrogen as the fuel that powers its engine of the future, the benefits of hydrogen over diesel engines, and how much impact this invention will have on drivers.

Electric engines can power small machines that do not require immense amounts of energy. Advancements in technology, like the manufacture of electric cars, have proven this. But what we are yet to see are electrically powered heavy trucks, and that’s simply because heavy machines like the type manufactured by JCB have higher energy needs—needs that battery power won’t be sufficient to meet. To provide this amount of energy via the EV route, these machines must be fitted with giant-sized batteries. The physical space required to carry these batteries and the additional weight this would require make it impracticable.

 It seems like everything is going green these days but there's one mode of transportation that seems to be clinging to the traditional "Aviation", fuel-loving ways and while commercial aviation has made strides through smarter design and cleaner engines, many of those gains have been nullified by more air traffic. The challenge is enormous and the industry is large it will take decades to convert, surprisingly the good news is that we have a solution as early as three years out that people can get into and start moving towards zero emission. And it turns out that the solution could be all around us Hydrogen.

This article will be visualizing the promising future of hydrogen as a fuel source through the lens of pioneering scientists and visionary entrepreneurs. Unveiling the untapped potential of hydrogen as a sustainable and clean energy solution, this compelling narrative delves into the latest breakthroughs and advancements in hydrogen technology. From cutting-edge research to innovative applications, explore the trailblazers who are driving the hydrogen revolution forward and reshaping the energy landscape. 

Learn about the bold visions, groundbreaking discoveries, and real-world success stories that are propelling hydrogen into the forefront of the energy transition. With compelling insights and compelling stories, this captivating journey unveils how hydrogen is transforming from a long-touted fuel of the future into a present-day reality with boundless possibilities for a more sustainable world.

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. And so if we have to use something, it would be great. The only product of the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen is water.

Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft

Looking at the fundamentals of what it would require to take an aircraft up in the air of significant size, over a significant distance, and commercially relevant. Hydrogen Fuel Cells are the best approach from the cost of fuel, the efficiency of utilization of the fuel, and the mitigation of the climate effects.

Jet Engine Fuel vs. Hydrogen Fuel

So the beauty about hydrogen in general is that the energy density of hydrogen as a fuel is three times better than jet fuel. So we see in general that any size of aircraft going for any distance that jet fuel aircraft can go over time. It will just take a significant amount of time to get the industry over, but this technology can scale to all sizes of aircraft we use in commercial service. 

ZeroAvia's Hydrogen Aviation

ZeroAvia is a hydrogen-electric aircraft developer operating in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Serial cleantech entrepreneur Val Miftakhov started ZeroAvia following his previous success in the EV charging industry. The company is focused on developing zero-emission aviation solutions by utilizing hydrogen fuel cells as a means of powering electric aircraft. ZeroAvia's goal is to provide sustainable aviation options that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a more environmentally friendly aviation industry. The company has been actively involved in the development of hydrogen-electric powertrains for regional aircraft, to eventually achieve zero-emission flights for commercial aviation.

How does Hydrogen Airplane Work?

ZeroAvia uses a hydrogen fuel cell to produce electricity to turn a propeller. Unlike a traditional engine which uses combustion to create energy, a fuel cell generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction. In this case, hydrogen and oxygen are combined to generate electricity, heat, and water. ZeroAvia has flown a six-seater aircraft on a hydrogen fuel cell; a world first. Now they're aiming bigger, at 20 seats. That's technically commercial. One side of the aircraft, the left side, will replace the engine with power plants. 

A normal engine on the right side and part of this is, in aviation, you want to ramp up risk profile in meaningful steps. So if calamity happens there will be a second engine as a backup. But even in the first flight test campaign, it has been planned to demonstrate the operation of this aircraft purely on zero emission power on the left side engine. Once it is taken off, we can switch over to completely zero-emission power. Hydrogen is used throughout all sections of a flight, which maximizes the efficiency of the entire operation reduces the weight, and provides for best the sort of mission capabilities, payload, and range.

Building power plants and fuel cells is one thing, creating a whole new infrastructure for supplying hydrogen is something entirely different.

Building the Infrastructure of Hydrogen Fuel Cell

In automotive a big part of the reason why hydrogen did not take off is that the fueling infrastructure needs to be so distributed. For let's say, the United States, you have a hundred thousand fueling stations. Compare that with aviation where 95% or more of traffic in the United States is concentrated in 100 locations. So that's a three-order magnitude difference which makes building out of the infrastructure much simpler. It's much larger, much more concentrated stations, but they're much fewer in quantity. Calling it simpler might be underselling the challenge of distributing hydrogen, which, unlike other fuels that can be easily transported in liquid form, is usually found instead in a gaseous state.

Transportation of Hydrogen

One of the main concerns is the transportation of hydrogen, How do you get the hydrogen from point A to point B? We cannot have pipelines for moving hydrogen around. We do not have all the specialized trucks to move them around and so we got thinking, we need a solution that can be a low capital expenditure solution and that's what the companies are working on.

Modular tank system for the domestic turboprop

John-Paul Clarke is the co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Universal Hydrogen, a startup that has designed a modular tank system for the domestic turboprop market. Like ZeroAvia, it allows for retrofitting planes already in use. Each module has two capsules and so what we do is load it into the aircraft as if it were cargo, strap it down, connect it to the aircraft, close the loading door, and that would be it. When you get to your destination, you'd unload it, put it back in a truck, and send it back to the production site to get refills. We needed to come up with something that could both fit in containers and fit in the aircraft, not require increases in the maximum takeoff weight of the aircraft. 

This compromise is one of the biggest hurdles that may prevent the widespread adoption of hydrogen. You're gonna have to take out some seats because the energy density of hydrogen is less than jet fuel and you can't store it in the wings practically, so you're gonna have to take away some space in the fuselage. In the ultra-fine margins of aviation, removing 10 to 20% of your seats is a tough ask, but that hasn't deterred startups like ZeroAvia or Universal Hydrogen.

Maintenance cost of Fuel Cell System

The maintenance cost of a fuel cell motor system goes down and it goes down significantly because motors and fuel cells have much fewer moving parts than a gas turbine engine. And so the wear and tear are much lower, so the time between overhauls is longer. And so when you put all that together,  numbers indicate that the CASM, (Cost per Available Seat Mile), actually goes down slightly or is at the worst equivalent to what you have now. So what you'll have is a smaller cabin or a smaller number of seats. However, the cost for each of those seats to operate is the same or better than the hydrogen. 

Like ZeroAvia, Universal Hydrogen is also working on engines, successfully testing the two-megawatt iron bird that will allow them to retrofit planes carrying up to 55 passengers. ZeroAvia is aiming for their first commercial hydrogen electric flight between London and Rotterdam with their 19-seater by around 2024. But much like the range anxiety that has plagued some battery-powered electric vehicles on land, hydrogen fuel cells are also fairly limited. At this point, they still can't power a common 100-passenger jet.

University of Cranfield into Hydrogen Airplane

Beyond fuel cells, however, there is another hope for our lightest, most abundant element: Burning it. An expert in gas turbine combustion, Professor Bobby Sethi leads research at Cranfield University in the U.K. According to him, the first eureka moment, is when we see steam in the exhaust because we are thinking to ourselves, "Huh? We're burning something here when you're producing absolutely NOx CO2." Built on a former RAF base, the college runs multiple aeronautical programs. But what Prof. Bobby is focused on is burning hydrogen, as cleanly as possible. So they tested how we can conceive some hydrogen combustion technologies that can be integrated into the next-generation aircraft engines, which will deliver not only zero CO2 emissions but also ultra-low NOx emissions. 

NOx or nitrogen oxides are a significant source of air pollution globally. They're the dirty particulates that cause smog in cities, usually spat out by diesel cars, scooters, and buses.

Why Hydrogen is better for NOx emission?

Hydrogen is characterized by much wider flammability limits, which means we can go to much leaner combustion. As a result, we can burn at much lower flame temperatures and that's better for reducing NOx emissions. Going leaner means burning fuel with an excess of air in the engine. Using something like gasoline, lean burn emits far fewer hydrocarbons. Doing it with hydrogen also delivers cleaner emissions. While NOx is a pollutant, hydrogen combustion produces up to 90% less nitrogen oxide than kerosene.

Challenges of Water Vapor Emission from Hydrogen Aircraft

So while burning hydrogen isn't technically as clean as using it inside a fuel cell, it's still a huge improvement over jet fuel. Unfortunately, like any radically new idea, there are other potential byproducts of the process that aren't fully yet understood. NOx is one of the main emissions we need to consider, but the aviation community is also asking themselves and the community in general, what about all the water vapor emissions? 

Some studies have shown, albeit(although) there's still a large degree of uncertainty about it, that contrails and cirrus clouds that may be induced from contrails could contribute to global warming about four times the amount than CO2 does. We know that if we are going to be burning hydrogen, we are going to produce a much larger amount of water vapor emissions. And if we are going to be producing a much larger amount of water vapor emissions, then the propensity for contrail formation is also going to increase.

Despite all these challenges, hydrogen is being taken seriously by the broader industry. Companies like Universal Hydrogen and ZeroAvia are gaining the attention of investors looking for viable and eventually profitable solutions.

Airbus 380 Bets on Hydrogen to Deliver Zero-Emission Jets

Industry giant Airbus wants to introduce a hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft by 2035. Recently announced Airbus to use the A380 to retrofit a gas-guzzling Superjumbo with a hydrogen-burning engine. The modified aircraft will add a fifth engine, adapted for hydrogen, and will be mounted on the rear fuselage. The A380 is the largest passenger aircraft in existence, so it offers plenty of room to store 400 kilograms of hydrogen.

A Video Demonstration of Airbus 380 ZEROe on Hydrogen Technology

The company's designs for a blended wing concept to store extra hydrogen also offer a glimpse of our flying future. Apart from the complex engineering challenges faced by airplane manufacturers, there are also difficulties in the production of hydrogen itself.

Nowadays, most of the hydrogen used in fuel is derived by splitting it off from molecules of natural gas. But that requires a good deal of energy and also produces carbon dioxide.

To make green hydrogen, the electricity used to run the electrolyzer must come from a renewable resource, which is currently a lot more expensive. As with any new technology, however, initial costs are daunting, but time may be the best remedy here.

Economics of Hydrogen Fuel Production

If you look at the economics of hydrogen fuel production, for example, versus fossil fuels, for instance, the cost of hydrogen is all based on capital expense and very little operating expense. So it's sort of similar to solar power. You put solar panels out there, and they produce power for 20-25 years. The operating expense is relatively low. What that means is that as scale grows, as we've seen with solar panels, the cost of output drops dramatically.

So the first phase is not about the most efficient aircraft. It's not about the aircraft that will deliver the lowest NOx emissions. It's about demonstrating that we can carry hydrogen safely on board, we can burn it safely on board, and can be used to fly a passenger aircraft. The key thing is that we don't try to put everything in the first generation or we're just gonna delay the entry into service. 

If there are some questions on the margin, they're all in the sort of business model and market adoption realm. It is very hard to create a technological argument or impossible to create a technological argument that says, "Well, it's not gonna work." It is going to work.

Conclusion

To summarize, the inevitability of hydrogen-fueled planes is becoming increasingly clear. With the urgent need to decarbonize the aviation industry and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, hydrogen presents a promising alternative to traditional fossil fuels. As advancements in hydrogen production, storage, and utilization continue to progress, hydrogen-fueled planes are poised to become a sustainable and viable solution for aviation and we eagerly anticipate the aviation industry taking flight "On the Wings of Hydrogen" shortly

 When we hear the name Cummins, within a fraction of a second you might think of a diesel engine. After all, that's what their entire business is built on. But recently they have ventured into the world of Hydrogen Combustion Engines (where hydrogen is used as a fuel) and could eventually replace the massively successful and long line of diesel engines? It sounds crazy!

Why on Earth would Cummins even think to pursue hydrogen engines when their entire business is built on diesel engines? Designing them, producing them, supplying them, they're all over the world. But it is true, they are pursuing hydrogen engines.

So, let me drive you into the most renowned brand Cummins and what is the reason behind their pursuit of hydrogen engines? What is in it for them? Is their money to be made? Is there some sort of innovation that they have? What are they doing? Too many questions. Let's take a look at Cummins.

Why there is a need for a Hydrogen Engine?

We see huge money daily and year after year, being invested into electric vehicle systems. Companies like Ford and other big automakers are putting tons of money into electric vehicle systems and we can get to know from the EPA's (Environmental Protection Agency) scheduled emissions restrictions, that life for gasoline and diesel-powered engines is going to get very difficult, if not outright impossible shortly. 

And keeping in mind, there is a possibility that the free market will be going to willingly choose electric over fossil fuel vehicles anytime soon, due to pricing and range concerns. Rather it’s being forced by a branch of the government, and because of that, we have seen the electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, also known as EVs and PHEVs, popping up left and right from just about every single automaker in the world.

Vehicle Electrification

Vehicle electrification can help individuals who live in the city, who do not have long commutes, and especially do not have to use their vehicles for work, so something like the Ford F-150 lightning, it’s not a particularly great work truck because of the range when towing and hauling, 

But what about people who don't live in the city? What about off-highway construction? What about over-the-road long-distance trucking? 

There are a lot of applications where electricity simply just doesn't make sense as of right now. Well, you might be thinking to yourself, well, we have electric semi-trucks coming soon, but there's a huge amount of work to be done before said electric semi-trucks are useful for long-distance hauling of goods. The massive infrastructure required simply is not there yet, it doesn't mean that it won't be there, or can’t be there, it's just simply not yet of course.

Why lithium extraction is expensive?

On the other side, it is worth mentioning that lithium mining is incredibly destructive, cobalt mining involves literal child labor in the Democratic Republic of Congo in some of the worst conditions imaginable, and fossil fuel power plants are still supplying the power required to charge vehicles, at least still in the country like India and partially in the US and upcoming countries. It is almost exclusively supplied by fossil fuel power plants. And that still needs to cover off-highway construction where electricity simply is just not a good option because of the location of where the work is being done.

Suppose you wanted to use electric vehicles for bringing materials in and out of electric machinery in an off-highway construction site. In that case, you’d likely need a huge diesel generator on site to supply the electricity for those vehicles, which kind of defeats the purpose. Don’t underestimate the ridiculous amount of power required for an electric vehicle to operate. So, that brings us back to the internal combustion engine, but as we mentioned, the EPA has scheduled emissions restrictions that are coming shortly, that are going to strangle gas and diesel engines.

Cummins Hydrogen Powered Combustion Engines

If one wants to keep the internal combustion engine in use, then they have to switch the fuel source to something cleaner, which is exactly why Cummins has been putting money into Hydrogen-Powered Engine solutions for on-the-road trucking, off-highway construction, and so on. And with something like a Cummins-powered generator, it could more easily have the electrical generation required to power off-highway construction with electric vehicles bringing materials in and out or just having electric construction equipment like an excavator and so on. Now, it doesn't mean that we're going to see electric excavators becoming incredibly popular anytime soon, as it likely won't happen for another 20 to 40 years. 

So, that takes us to Cummins's two new hydrogen-powered engines which are based very much on two types of diesel that already exist in Cummins's portfolio, which are the 6.7 liters that you can find in applications like the Ram 2500 and the 15 liters that one can find in applications like commercial trucks. And even more, interestingly, Cummins isn't developing these strictly as hydrogen-fueled engines, but rather as fuel-agnostic engines that can be powered by either Diesel or Hydrogen, which then massively eases concerns regarding the lacking infrastructure required for a strict hydrogen engine.

They're doing this by using a  shared common short block for both the Diesel and the Hybrid fuel engines. The major change in Cummins Hydrogen Engine from a regular Diesel engine is everything from the head gasket down is just about the same, but everything from the head gasket up has to be changed for the new fuel type. And by sharing a common short block and as many components as they can, it not only makes development cheaper and easier but also makes it much easier to convert existing 6.7-liter and 15-liter engines over to the new hybrid fuel design shortly, at least in theory.

Cumins new biogas and HvO Fuel Engine

And on top of that, they're not even stopping there. This new fuel-agnostic platform is also expanding to biogas fuel and hvo fuel, giving prospective buyers lots of options coming very soon. For now, though, the big news and attention mostly lie on hydrogen fuel engines, and well part of the reason is that they’re not exactly practical yet. Because, the thing is you have to generate hydrogen, which requires electricity you can't generate energy for free. There are multiple videos on YouTube regarding hydrogen generators and how you can plug one into your car, and don’t get me wrong, that's very interesting. But if we think pragmatically building an onboard hydrogen generator that can power a 6.7-liter or 15-liter engine simply isn't practical. It would be physically massive.

Liquid hydrogen /On Board Hydrogen Generating

So, the other solution, if you want to have a large 6.7L or 15L engine powered by hydrogen, is by using liquid hydrogen and to do that you need to have an onboard storage tank or multiple onboard storage tanks, but there’s only one problem, hydrogen isn't a liquid, at least not until it's cooled to negative 423 degrees Fahrenheit. Now, that in itself takes energy, and then the hydrogen won't stay in that liquid state as it heats back up, which then means you need to have a massively pressurized holding tank to keep it in that liquid state, that means the standard fuel tank cannot be used, it has to be swapped out. 

It is not that a hydrogen-powered future is impossible. I do believe hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines have a lot of potential, but simply that onboard generation will be a very challenging task with an engine this large. It’s just not going to be possible as of right now, which means we're stuck with using liquid hydrogen, which then has its own sets of hurdles and obstacles to overcome. And on top of that, just one question here, if it takes electricity to generate hydrogen through electrolysis to then burn through a combustion engine then why don't we just use that electricity to power an electric motor connected to the wheels, in the first place?

How Cummins is preparing for an alternative to Electricity?

That takes us right back to the start. Some hurdles must be cleared for hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines to be adopted in masses. On the bright side, hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines are very similar to compressed natural gas engines, which again, simplifies the development process even further. And because the upcoming Cummins hydrogen-powered engines are based on existing Cummins diesel engines, that almost eliminates the possibility of reliability issues since existing Cummins diesel is incredibly reliable or at least as reliable as they can be given the emission systems that we know plague reliability.

Cumins Hydrogen Engine Specifications

That means it can also build up to existing transmissions, generators, etc. It can also use the same cooling systems and a bunch of components. It makes it much easier to use a shared platform. Cummins Hydrogen internal combustion Engine specifications are 6.7-liter hydrogen engine outputs an impressive 216  kilowatts and 1200 newton meters, which translates to 290 horsepower and 885 pound-feet of torque.

Cummins believes that hydrogen-powered engines will be complementary to battery electric vehicles like buses and trucks, but that one powertrain type won't completely replace the other. As I mentioned earlier, there will be significant use cases for both types of engines, and I think that's exactly what Cummins is trying to prepare for. By not switching entirely to hydrogen, by not switching entirely to electric, they're diversifying their product lineup and preparing to offer products for a wide range of applications.

Has Cummins's diesel segment been dead?

No, far from it. We're going to see Cummins diesel engines produced for a very long time and if they can massively clean up their diesel engines without adding even more reliability plaguing emission systems, by using something, like, ducted fuel injection or something, to come up with some sort of innovation to help clean up their engines, we could see Cummins diesel engines being used for another 20/30/40/50 years, depending on how they evolve. But, with the upcoming EPA regulations, we know that it in fact might not be possible. So, Cummins is preparing for the worst and they're diversifying their product lineup by offering engines that can run on multiple different fuel sources by running on the same base engine.

Other Companies that are developing Hydrogen Powered Engine

And it's also worth noting, it's not like Cummins is doing this on their own. There are a ton of different companies putting money into hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines. Over in Japan, companies like Mazda, Yamaha, Toyota, and Kawasaki, have all banded together to develop hydrogen solutions. All of these companies compete with each other in some way, yet they're working together towards saving the internal combustion engine.

Cummins is also working with various other companies to push this technology and make it a truly viable solution, because again, battery electric vehicles are simply impractical for long distances over the road trucking and Highway construction, at least for now. And while this is all very interesting and very exciting, we likely won't be seeing either the 6.7-liter or 15-liter hydrogen engines enter production for quite a while.

As per Cummins, the 15-liter engine will enter full production in 2027 and the 6.7-liter should be as soon as 2023.

In my opinion, the diesel engine still has a way to go, it's still going to be used for quite a while because as mentioned previously, off-highway construction is a huge hurdle to clear for electric vehicles and is simply not going to be practical for a significant amount of time. The next decade, two, or three, will have a lot of innovation in the automotive world, in the engine world, and we could see things change massively. So, all we can do as of right now is just sit back and wait to see how this all unfolds. 

Conclusion

In summary, while Cummin's Hydrogen Engine is an exciting development, it's unlikely to be the sole cause of the decline of diesel engines in the short term. However, it's a step towards a more sustainable transportation future and could eventually play a significant role in reducing emissions and improving air quality in the coming years.

 Recently the Adani group announced that it has entered into a partnership with Total Energies of France to jointly develop the green hydrogen ecosystem. Gautam Adani group will invest 50 billion dollars over the next 10 years on green hydrogen projects.

Adani aims to become the world's most significant Green Hydrogen player with a Green Hydrogen production capacity of one million tonnes per annum before 2030. But Adani group is not the only one to be upbeat about green hydrogen reliance industries is investing rupees 75000 crores over the next three years to build a new clean energy business.

Engineering major Larsen and Turbo (L&T) renewable energy company, Renew Power is among the many private sector companies looking to invest in this space. The list is long and even public sector companies like NTPC, BPCL, and Indian oil corporations have announced their entry into this space.

Green Hydrogen Mission

So what exactly is green hydrogen and why has it caught everyone's attention To understand this let's rewind to Independence Day August 15, 2021. As PM Modi cited. “We have to make India a global Hub for Green Hydrogen Production and export”.

Video Courtesy: PMO India

The video shared by PMO was the first time green hydrogen and the national hydrogen mission were included in the national narrative of clean energy. 

What is GREEN HYDROGEN?

You may remember reading in school books that HYDROGEN is the most abundant element in the universe but pure or elemental hydrogen is a very scarce resource. It almost always exists in compounds like with oxygen to form H2O or water. Remember reading about electrolysis in chemistry when an electric current is passed through water it splits it into elemental oxygen and hydrogen through electrolysis and if the electricity used for this process comes from a renewable source like wind or solar, what you have is green hydrogen. 

So if you hear other colors attached to hydrogen it only refers to the source of electricity used in the process of electrolysis. 

For instance, if coal is used we get Brown Hydrogen. This hydrogen is a great source of energy because of its high energy content per unit of weight. This is why it is used as rocket fuel.

Green Hydrogen in particular is one of the cleanest sources of energy with close to zero emissions. It can be used in Fuel Cells for cars or in energy-guzzling industries like fertilizers and steel manufacturing. To encourage the green hydrogen industry, the government on February 17 announced the first part of the national green hydrogen policy. 

Among other things to boost the green hydrogen sector in the country, the government said, “it will allow free power transmission to renewable energy units set up by green hydrogen producers and allow power banking facilities for 30 days”, the second round of the policy is expected to announce economic incentives to boost the sector.

Companies that invested in Green Hydrogen

Several Indian companies have invested in green hydrogen technology and projects. And which are Indian Green Hydrogen stocks to invest in. While the companies are gearing up let's take a glimpse  at some of the industry heavyweights who have already announced plans to enter the green hydrogen space:

Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL)

Reliance Industries aims to be a net carbon-neutral company by 2035. It has plans of investing 75000 crore rupees in the clean energy business and green hydrogen will play an integral role in that it has also invested 50 million dollars in U.S.-based energy storage company Ambry. It has also acquired a Norwegian solar equipment maker REC Solar Holdings and has a 40 stake now in renewable project specialist companies Sterling and Wilson Solar. All this could be support for the green hydrogen business going ahead. Reliance also aims to be one of the largest producers of Blue Hydrogen globally by using petroleum coke.

Video Courtesy: CNBC TV18 

“Efforts are on globally to make green hydrogen the most affordable fuel by bringing down its cost to initially under two dollars per kilogram. India has always set and achieved even more audacious. Impossible goals and I am sure that India can set an even more aggressive target of achieving one dollar per kilogram within a decade. This will make India the first country globally to achieve one dollar per kilogram of hydrogen in one decade, the one-on-one target for green hydrogen”-Mukesh Ambani.

Adani Group in Green Hydrogen

The Adani Group, a leading Indian conglomerate, has announced plans to set up Green Hydrogen production facilities in India, using renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. Adani Group plans to invest 50 billion dollars over the next 10 years on a green hydrogen project with a total of France. Adani group has also signed a non-binding pact with NASDAQ-listed Ballard power system. To evaluate a joint venture for investment in the commercial production of green hydrogen fuel cells for various mobility and industrial applications in India. Adani Joined hands with Total Energy a French-based company to invest in Green Hydrogen.

Video Courtesy: Adani Group

“Hydrogen is the trigger for the smarter use of other renewables by becoming the long-term transport and distributed storage solution for electricity. It is the key link in the energy transition journey that along with wind and solar will stabilize, decentralized power generation" - Gautam Adani.

Oil India Limited the state-run oil exploration and production company Oil India Limited commissioned India's first 99.999 pure green hydrogen plant in Assam in April this year.

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)

Indian oil corporation the company plans to convert grey hydrogen at its Mathura and Panipat plants into green hydrogen by 2030. The company also has in-principle approval for an investment of rupees 100 crores for setting up a green hydrogen fuel infrastructure unit at Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram as a pilot project. In fact, the Indian oil corporation has tied up with Larsen and Toubro and Renew Power to jointly develop green hydrogen projects in India.

Larsen and Toubro (L&T) 

L&T Green Hydrogen is a subsidiary of Larsen and Toubro (L&T), one of India's leading engineering and construction companies. The subsidiary is focused on the development, production, and distribution of Green Hydrogen in India. It aims to support the Indian Government's National Green Hydrogen Mission 2023 and contribute to the country's goal of achieving energy security and reducing its dependence on fossil fuels.

L&T Green Hydrogen will collaborate with leading companies in the hydrogen sector, It has already signed a pact with Norway-based electrolyzer and technology manufacturing company Hydrogen Pro, to develop and implement cutting-edge technologies for the production, storage, and transportation of green hydrogen. The subsidiary will also focus on building a skilled workforce and creating a conducive environment for investment in the green hydrogen sector.

In addition to its partnership with Hydrogen Pro, L&T Green Hydrogen will also explore other opportunities for collaboration with companies in the hydrogen sector, including those in the regions of research and development (R&D), infrastructure development, and policy frameworks.

National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)

NTPC the state-run power utility backed the country's first hydrogen microgrid project at its Simhadri plant in Andhra Pradesh. The company has also set up India's first green hydrogen fueling station in Ley Ladakh. The green hydrogen revolution could be a big game changer for the world as energy prices continue soaring and energy demand continues to be robust. For India, it could be a sure and clean way to ensure energy security.

Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL)

The state-run company is geared up to create India’s largest green-hydrogen facility over the next 12-14 months. It aims to increase its natural gas business with carbon-free fuel, as investors increasingly focus on environmental, colonial, and governance (ESG) parameters. 

The previous year, GAIL chairman and managing director Manoj Jain said the company launched a global tender to procure an electrolyzer that could deliver 4.5 tons a day of hydrogen. The company started a first-of-its-kind project of blending hydrogen in the natural gas system at Indore, on a pilot basis.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL)

BPCL has teamed with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to work on alkaline electrolyzer technology for Green Hydrogen production. The company aims to scale up production of the electrolyzer for commercial use, particularly in refineries.

What are the reasons top Indian Companies invest in Green Hydrogen?

There are several reasons why top Indian companies are investing in green hydrogen:

Environmental concerns: 

Green hydrogen is a clean and renewable energy source that does not produce greenhouse gases or other harmful emissions. This makes it an attractive option for companies looking to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to the fight against climate change.

Energy security: 

India heavily depends on fossil fuels for its energy needs, and investing in green hydrogen can help the country reduce its reliance on imported fuels.

Economic benefits: 

Green hydrogen can be used in a variety of applications, including power generation, transportation, and manufacturing. This creates economic opportunities for companies that are involved in the production and distribution of green hydrogen.

Government incentives: 

The Indian government has been actively promoting the use of green hydrogen and has implemented various incentives and subsidies to encourage companies to invest in this technology.

Growing market demand: 

As the global demand for clean and renewable energy sources increases, companies that invest in green hydrogen now will be well-positioned to meet this demand in the future.

Many other companies, such as ReNew Power, ACME Group, and JSW Group, are working towards entering the green-hydrogen ecosystem.

National Green Hydrogen Mission Policy in India

In the first quarter of January 2023(4th of January 2023), the Government of India launched the Green Hydrogen Mission and its policy. The National Green Hydrogen mission has been approved by the Cabinet with an initial outlay of Rs. 19,744 crores. 

The mission aims to promote the production and use of green hydrogen in India, a clean and sustainable energy source. The mission will focus on the development of production facilities, storage, and distribution infrastructure for green hydrogen. It will also provide financial and technical support to industries and businesses to adopt green hydrogen technology. 

The mission will also work towards creating a robust regulatory framework for the Green Hydrogen sector, to ensure its safe and efficient usage. Additionally, the mission will also focus on creating a market for Green Hydrogen by developing a comprehensive strategy for its use in various sectors.

This mission is a major step towards India's goal of achieving energy security and reducing its dependence on fossil fuels.

A National Green Hydrogen Mission of India Book, published in January 2023.

In conclusion, the National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to provide a comprehensive action plan for the development and promotion of the Green Hydrogen sector in the country, to support the transition to a sustainable and low-carbon economy.

 Batteries are becoming an increasingly important energy storage technique. As the world continues to migrate away from relying on fossil fuel energy and toward energy generated by emission-free electrification. Since their first commercial introduction in the early 1990s, lithium-ion batteries have become the power source of selection for many electronic devices, including mobile phones, electric vehicles, and drones.

The demand for lithium-ion batteries for electric power vehicles and energy storage has seen exponential growth, from just 0.5 gigawatt-hours in 2010 to approximately 526 gigawatt-hours a decade later in 2022. This growth is because lithium-ion batteries can accumulate a significant amount of energy. And according to Bloomberg's projections, demand will climb 17 times by the year 2030, which will decrease the cost of battery storage.

Which Automakers are in the race for Hydrogen cars?

In addition, recycling lithium-ion batteries is difficult and expensive. Therefore, now is the right time to grab this opportunity to search for alternative battery technologies that are both effective and affordable. Thankfully, two of the most well-known automotive manufacturers in the world have plans to collaborate on the research and development of a brand-new type of battery that will revolutionize the industry! So, what are these companies, and how exactly will this happen? 

BMW and Toyota plan to develop hydrogen fuel cells for their EVs! 

It has been reported that by the middle of the decade, BMW and Toyota will work together to manufacture hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. According to BMW sales chief Pieter Nota, who spoke with an online news platform, the two will start producing and selling hydrogen fuel cell vehicles they created together as early as 2025. You see, the automakers had collaborated in the past, such as when they developed the iX5 hydrogen, which was based on BMW’s X5 SUV.

Additionally, in 2019, they also jointly built the BMW Z4 and the Toyota Supra sports cars. Toyota has extensive expertise with fuel cell technology, and the company's Mirai mid-size vehicle, which debuted eight years ago and is now entering its second generation, is evidence of this. These vehicles do not have an internal combustion engine or battery, and they use hydrogen and oxygen to generate power. Cars powered by fuel cells have several advantages over battery-powered vehicles since they can get more miles per gallon and can get refueled in as little as 3 to 4 minutes. However, most of the public hydrogen stations in the United States are located in the state of California, and even in that state, the technology is not yet suitable for widespread use. Now, despite BMW's re-entry into the electric vehicle industry with the i4 four-door coupe and the IX SUV, the company has hinted that it may also pursue hydrogen as an energy source in the future.

Oliver Zipse, the CEO of the company, stated in a recent earnings call that the company’s next-generation platform, Neue Klasse, will most likely be designed to support gaseous fuel in addition to pure battery power. The firm has also previously implemented a plan with a platform known as CLAR. That supported internal combustion engines, plug-in hybrids, and fully electric propulsion systems. Now, this method is described as an “all-of-the-above" strategy. And because of CLAR, BMW was able to move fast on plug-in hybrids.

Nevertheless, the company's recent attempts to develop pure EVs have lagged behind its competitors. Neue Klasse may experience the same issues, or they may be able to find a solution to them. Beginning in 2025, when new 3-series sedans and X3 SUVs based on the platform go on sale, the market will have the opportunity to make the decision.

But first, how exactly do hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles work? 

Fuel cell electric vehicles or FCEVs are similar to all-electric cars because they use electricity to power an electric motor. In contrast to other types of electric cars, fuel cell electric vehicles generate their own electricity by using a fuel cell fuelled by hydrogen rather than just drawing electricity from a battery. Now, the vehicle's power is determined by the vehicle’s manufacturer during the process of designing the car. The vehicle's power is also determined by the size of the electric motor that receives electric power from the fuel cell and the correctly sized battery combination. Even though car manufacturers could design an FCEV with plug-in capabilities to charge the battery, most FCEVs on the market today use the battery to store the energy that is recovered from braking.

This not only offers additional power during brief acceleration events but also helps to smooth out the power produced by the fuel cell. It is done by giving the driver a choice to let the fuel cell idle or switch it off when the vehicle's power requirements are low. The size of the hydrogen fuel tank on board is also what determines the total quantity of energy that can be stored there. However, this is not the same as an all-electric vehicle, in which the size of the battery is directly related to the amount of power and energy available.

BMW sees potential in Hydrogen Fuel cell Technology

So, BMW is one of the few automakers who believe that switching to electric propulsion does not necessarily require the installation of cumbersome and space-consuming batteries in a vehicle. And it continues to see potential in hydrogen technology. As a result, the iX5 will undergo a limited production run in the latter half of 2022. It's interesting to note that the German luxury brand has also already started planning for the future of fuel cell technology. During the conference call to discuss the firm's half-year report, the chairman of BMW Group, Oliver Zipse, stated that the company is "already thinking about a possible future generation." And if the proposal is accepted, it won't be implemented shortly because the current generation of the X5 is scheduled to have a mid-cycle refresh in 2023. This means that the next-generation SUV won't hit the market until 2026. Nevertheless, the executive's statement shows that BMW is serious about pursuing hydrogen as a fuel source. 

Oliver Zipse asserts that “hydrogen is the missing piece of the puzzle that can complement electro-mobility in places where battery-electric drivetrains are unable to gain traction". To that end, the  Neue Klasse platform, scheduled to debut in 2025 with a battery-powered 3 Series Sedan, could be modified to support a fuel cell. The executive, who is 58 years old, has also stated that for the time being,  BMW can only "imagine a hydrogen drivetrain for this new vehicle generation". The top executive at BMW thinks that hydrogen-powered individual mobility "needs reassessing", particularly in some countries where traditional battery EVs have not yet achieved widespread acceptance. 

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is an SUV that weighs less than a battery-powered vehicle of comparable size. And that's because it replaces huge batteries with two hydrogen tanks constructed from carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). The SUV has a total output of 374 horsepower (275 kW). And it has a higher power output than a vehicle of a similar size. 

You see, it takes only three to four minutes to refuel a hydrogen-fueled automobile, making it just as quick as a vehicle powered by gasoline or diesel. This is in addition to the fact that a hydrogen-powered car is noticeably lighter than a conventional electric vehicle. In the case of the BMW iX5, the sport utility vehicle (SUV), BMW developed the car to use waste heat to warm the interior cabin. As with other hydrogen-powered vehicles, such as the Toyota  Mirai, the only emission is water vapor. And now, all we need to do is keep an eye on this area to learn more about the production-ready fuel cell SUV, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, since the first vehicle reviews are scheduled to take place in Europe this fall. 

So, what do you think of BMW and Toyota's initiative to develop this battery? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below! 

 Electric vehicles have spread their charisma all over the world. Tesla and Elon Musk fans are enthusiastic about EVs on various social media platforms. And now the Indian car makers are also shifting towards electric vehicles.

In the era of EVs, our Road and Transport Minister has introduced Hydrogen cars. He arrived in Parliament in this car (Toyota Mirai) and became part of many headlines. So, what are these Hydrogen cars? Before the mass utilization of EVs, can Hydrogen cars replace them? Let's explore this together in today's article.

History of Hydrogen Fuel

It is not the first time that Hydrogen has been used as a fuel. In the year 1937, Hydrogen was used as a fuel in the Hindenburg Aircraft. But unfortunately, it got ruptured in its flight and 35 people out of 100 died due to the arson. The aircraft was eradicated, but Hydrogen continued as a fuel NASA also uses hydrogen gas as a fuel to shift its crew and cargo from one place to another. In the year 1960, General Motors invented an Electro Van which was an FCEV. The car in which Mr. Gadkari went to the parliament was a Toyota Mirai was also an FCEV. FCEV stands for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle.

How does a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car work?

It is very simple Hydrogen is filled in its tank and Oxygen is obtained from the surrounding air. So, there exists a fuel cell where Hydrogen and Oxygen interact and produce water, heat, and electricity. Heat escapes into the atmosphere, and water gets evaporated. And the electricity generated drives the electric motor and accelerates the car.

Benefits of Hydrogen Cars

If you think this type of EV has advantages over both normal fuel-based vehicles and electric vehicles.

It does not need to be recharged via electricity, Fill the hydrogen tank of the vehicle and travel anywhere. The advantage of FCEVs is the use of electric motors, which don't cause any type of pollution. These FCEVs don't even have the issues of Range and Charging.

A range of 250-300 Km in an electric vehicle and the charging time ranges from 6-8 hours. In FCEVs, the range is around 600 Km for this, you only have to get your hydrogen tank full which takes nearly 5 minutes There is one more problem with the EVs which is less spoken.

There is a weight-to-range ratio suppose you have an EV, a battery is installed in it, and it has a range of 100 Km. Now you want your EV to run for 200 Km then how many batteries would be required? You might be thinking of 2 but this is wrong. The battery itself has some weight that will make the EV heavier. So, two batteries won't provide a doubled range you can reach somewhere around 180 Km. The more range one thinks to increase more batteries are required It will become impossible after a certain time to install more batteries.

Hydrogen-based cars are free from all this. Just Increase the size of the tank fill more H2 gas and increase the range. Exactly like conventional fuel-based vehicles. So, the benefit of the Weight to Range ratio is provided in hydrogen-based vehicles.

One more problem with Electric Vehicles is less taken care of the optimum temperature for an Electric Vehicle to perform better is 21 degrees The batteries of EVs exhaust rapidly in colder regions similar to your smartphones. But there is no such issue in hydrogen-based vehicles. There are no special batteries used in FCEV to drive the car. FCEVs use hydrogen gas, and acceleration depends on the burning of Hydrogen gas. If there are so many benefits, you might be thinking that these vehicles should have a good market share.

Market Size of Hydrogen Cars?

Not at all, In the year 2021, a total of 6 Million electric vehicles were sold, but only 15000 Hydrogen-based vehicles were sold. Now there are more than 1000 charging stations for electric vehicles, but there is only 1 hydrogen station in our country. Elon Musk makes a mockery of these FCEVs in Public he terms these infeasible and tells them they have no future.

What are the problems with hydrogen-based vehicles that prohibit their growth?

The first problem is that these are very expensive. A normal car is available for Rs 10 Lacs, and a similar vehicle under the EVs is available at 12-13 Lacs. But the Hydrogen cars would cost you around 24 Lacs. The charging stations of electric vehicles, if cost around $50000 for their development. Then the development of a hydrogen station requires $20 Lacs. The reason is the storage if the hydrogen is stored at a high pressure a lot of expertise is required and that's why it is not at all cost-effective.

The second reason is the issue of Psychological Safety. Everybody has watched the videos of the Hindenburg Disaster. But Toyota Company is determined They declare that these vehicles are safe, and they even fired a bullet at the car to show that it does not catch fire.

But Psychologically many people doubt the safety of FCEVs. So, Safety is a major concern. If we keep the cost and safety aside but still, FCEVs still have many technical disadvantages.

Hydrogen Cars vs. Electric Vehicles

There is no point in comparing these with conventional fuel-based vehicles. As they are already less in demand. So, EVs which are the replacement for conventional cars must be compared with the FCEVs. To know the limitations of FCEVs. 

The first one is low energy efficiency. This whole article has been published which explains this. Let me lucidly tell you that hydrogen gas is required to run a Hydrogen vehicle, It will be extracted from somewhere Suppose you extract it from water for instance, take 100 Watts of electricity and supply it to the water. 25 Watts of electricity was consumed and Hydrogen was extracted. Now you would transport this hydrogen gas It would require compression 10 Watts of electricity will be used for this. When this Hydrogen will be filled in the Vehicle and then it will react with oxygen to produce electricity. 25 Watts will be consumed in this process. So your 60 Watts of electricity has already been consumed 40 Watts of electricity is left. This means the efficiency of hydrogen-based vehicles is around 40%. If we compare it with EVs, then EVs have an efficiency of around 80%. So this article mentions that Hydrogen should not be used in cars. Hydrogen can be used in Industries where natural gas is being used, but Hydrogen is not at all efficient for cars. 

The second one is Performance a car is picked based on good pick-up and acceleration and EVs are far ahead of FCEVs in this criterion. Also If we compare Toyota Mirai and Tesla Model 3 these two vehicles have similar costs Mirai takes around 9 seconds to reach 60 Kmph from 0 Kmph. But Tesla requires a meager 3 seconds. Mirai has a top speed of 170 Kmph And Tesla has a top speed of more than 230 Kmph. So the performance of Hydrogen cars is poorer than the performance of EVs.

Environmental Concerns

The third one includes environmental concerns, Hear it carefully EVs and FCEVs seem to be environmentally friendly from the outside but Hydrogen-based vehicles emit water and EVs don't have any emissions as these have batteries. But the point is what is the primary source of energy? Cobalt which is used in the batteries of EVs comes from mining which causes environmental damage when EVs are adopted on a large scale. Then where will the malfunctioning batteries be dumped? No one has any idea similar problems are present with the FCEVs All the Hydrogen which is made nowadays is made by burning Methane or Coal and the environmental damage caused by these is 3 times more than the damage caused by EVs.

Investments in Hydrogen Fuel

Despite all this Toyota, Hyundai, and BMW are manufacturing Hydrogen based vehicles. The reason behind this is all the issues that I have mentioned will be solved when the FCEVs become efficient and more scalable. The Indian Government has set a target that by 2030. India will produce 5 million tons of green hydrogen every year. Gautam Adani and Total Energy have signed a deal of $ 50 Million to produce green hydrogen. Apart from this Tata and Ambani are also investing in green hydrogen.

What is this Green Hydrogen?

As I told you earlier, nowadays Hydrogen is produced from methane. Green hydrogen will replace this would be produced from renewable resources. And the vehicles using hydrogen emit water. So the environmental damage caused by vehicles based on green hydrogen would be much less when compared to the EVs. Hydrogen Fuel Cells can disrupt the market in two ways.

Where would Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles be used more?

The first is Industrial/commercial vehicles which require long-range EVs would be ineffective as a lot of batteries would be required. Hydrogen-based vehicles can work exceptionally here. FCEV would be more powerful for heavy-duty commercial vehicles, polluting less. The second one is Industrial cases where natural gas has been used. 

The use of hydrogen gas will make them more environmentally friendly and like today, Elon Musk makes a mockery of hydrogen-based vehicles. Similarly, people used to laugh at solar energy around 8-10 years back. But now it has developed a lot and India is not very far in solar energy.