Leh, July 30: In the Union Territory of Ladakh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today laid the foundation for India's first public use green hydrogen transportation project, which will be built by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) over the course of the following 1.5 years.
The NTPC and the Union Territory of Ladakh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in July of last year to construct the first green hydrogen mobility project in the area and to work together to help the government create a carbon-free economy based on renewable energy and green hydrogen.
The Prime Minister's laying of the foundation stone means that the project's execution will begin as soon as possible, as NTPC has already floated a tender for the construction of a solar plant and a green hydrogen generation unit. This project supports the Prime Minister's vision of a carbon-neutral Ladakh.
They added that each hydrogen-filled bus would go 150 kilometres, thus all of the buses would initially run in and around Leh. However, if these buses were successful, NTPC would consider establishing similar initiatives in other areas of the Ladakh Union Territory.
The foundation stone of the project was laid by Prime Minister online in the presence of Union Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy R K Singh, Minister of State Krishan Pal Gurjar, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh R K Mathur, Chairman and Chief Executive Councilor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Tashi Gyalson and Member of Parliament Jamyang Tsering Namgyal.
The requirement of renewable energy for the project shall be met by solar PV project (1.70 MW) adjacent to the Hydrogen Fuelling Station (80 kg/day). The hydrogen generation plant and dispensation unit have been sized suitably to meet the requirements of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs).
According to sources, “NTPC has been actively encouraging the use of green hydrogen-based solutions in sectors like mobility, energy, chemical, fertiliser, steel, etc. The green hydrogen initiative is another step towards achieving low carbon footprint. It has updated its goal to reach 60 GW of renewable power by 2032, nearly double the previous goal.
Speaking on the occasion, CEC LAHDC Leh, Tashi Gyalson highlighted various green energy initiatives signed with different agencies such as ONGC and SECI. He shared that these projects would greatly benefit Ladakh in achieving a net zero emission and carbon neutrality charting a course of sustainable development with environmental sensitivity.
According to MP Ladakh, the government has undertaken numerous ground-breaking efforts in the power sector while the prime minister has served as its head. By 2024, he wanted to ensure that no home in Ladakh was without electricity. He continued by saying that these initiatives will not only help Ladakh achieve its decarbonization targets, but they would also give the region fresh hope for being an independent power producer and achieving PM's aim of a carbon-neutral Ladakh.
It is important to note that projects totaling Rs. 1172.12 crore have been proposed under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) in the UT of Ladakh, of which Rs. 144.60 crore is proposed for loss reduction works, Rs. 627.64 crore is proposed for electrification of Changthang region, and Rs. 58.50 crore is proposed for works in Zanskar region.
In the UT of Ladakh, component works for modernization/system strengthening totaling Rs 341.47 crore have been planned. The AT&C losses are also expected to be gradually reduced by UT Ladakh, from 48.17 percent in the base year 2020–21 to 27.85 percent by 2024–25.
