Reliance shows hydrogen-run truck at India Energy Week; emits water, oxygen

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries on Monday showcased a truck that runs on hydrogen, the cleanest known fuel whose tail emissions are only water and oxygen, at the India Energy Week here.

The Ashok Leyland manufactured truck with two large hydrogen cylinders was put up at a hall adjacent to the main venue where Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the three-day event that is themed around 'Growth, Collaboration, Transition'.

A display near the truck said this was "India's 1st H2ICE technology truck on road."

The truck has "near-zero emissions" when it uses hydrogen as fuel in place of conventional diesel or even recently introduced liquefied natural gas (LNG).

"H2ICE vehicle performance on-par with diesel ICE," it said.

H2 is the formula for hydrogen and ICE stands for internal combustion engine.

In a statement, Reliance said the truck it unveiled is india's first Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine technology solution for heavy duty trucks flagged off.

"The Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (H2ICE) powered trucks will emit near zero emissions, deliver performance on par with conventional diesel trucks and reduce noise and with projected reductions in operating costs thus redefining the future of green mobility," it said.

As part of its net carbon zero vison, Reliance with its vehicle partner Ashok Leyland and other technical partners are engaged in developing this unique technology since the last year with first engines running in early 2022.

"Going forward, Reliance will first extensively test and validate the H2ICE technology for heavy duty trucks before its first commercial deployment at scale initially across its captive fleet. Simultaneously Reliance is pursuing the opportunity to create an end-to-end Hydrogen eco system for mobility," it added.

India is fast pushing for use of hydrogen, which can be produced by splitting water using electricity. Use of electricity generated from renewable sources such as solar and wind qualifies it to be green hydrogen.

Hydrogen finds wide applicability, from refineries to steel plants and fertilizer units where it can replace hydrocarbons. Hydrogen can also be used as fuel in automobiles but its current cost of manufacturing is very high. But this hasn't stopped companies from investing in hydrogen manufacturing.

Last month, billionaire Gautam Adani's group announced plans for a hydrogen truck.

In January, Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL), part of the diversified Adani portfolio of companies, signed an agreement to launch a pilot project to develop a hydrogen fuel cell electric truck (FCET) for mining logistics and transportation with Ashok Leyland, India, and Ballard Power, Canada.

The hydrogen powered mining truck will weigh 55 tonnes, have three hydrogen tanks, a 200-kilometre working range, and will be powered by Ballard's 120 kW PEM fuel cell technology.

The Adani Group had previously announced its plans to invest more than USD 50 billion over the next 10 years in green hydrogen and associated ecosystems corresponding to a capacity of up to 3 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually.

The oil-to-telecom conglomerate Reliance too is pivoting a green path, investing in renewable energy power generation as well as the entire hydrogen ecosystem as part of its decarbonisation plans.

Reliance is investing Rs 6 lakh crore (USD 80 billion) in multiple green energy projects in Gujarat as part of the company's increasingly ambitious decarbonisation drive.

It will invest Rs 5 lakh crore over the span of 10 to 15 years to set up 100 GW renewable energy power plant and green hydrogen ecosystem development. It has started the process of scouting land for 100 GW renewable energy power projects in Kutch, Banaskantha and Dholera, and has requested 4,50,000 acres of land in Kutch.

The company will spend an additional Rs 60,000 crore in setting up 'new energy manufacturing', which includes solar modules, electrolysers, batteries for energy storage and fuel cells.

Another Rs 25,000 crore will be invested in existing projects and new ventures in the next three to five years.

Reliance in 2021 first talked of a multi-billion investment plan spanning renewables, storage and hydrogen, including what it claims will be the world's largest green energy equipment 'giga-complex' and a 100GW capacity goal.

The investment over three years would propel Reliance to net-zero emissions status by 2035.

At the display alongside the hydrogen truck, Reliance said use of hydrogen results in 20 per cent fuel operating expense saving over diesel ICE vehicles. It also results in 10-15 per cent noise reduction over diesel ICE vehicles, it added.

Sources said Reliance has about two dozen hydrogen-run trucks on test run in Gujarat.

Presently, a 19-tonne truck runs for 100 kilometres on 6 kilogram of hydrogen and a 35-tonne truck uses 8 kg hydrogen for the same range.

The company is working on design of the hydrogen casket so that it can hold more fuel and give a 400-km run on one fill.

Sources said Reliance plans to replace its entire fleet of diesel driven trucks with hydrogen powered trucks in next few years.

Adani Group plans to invest USD 20 billion over the next decade in renewable energy generation and component manufacturing, with an aim to become "the producer of the least expensive green electron anywhere in the world".

It intends to triple its renewable power generation capacity over the next four years, become a green hydrogen producer, power all of its data centres by renewable energy by 2030, achieve net-zero emissions at its ports by 2025, and allocate more than 75 per cent of capital expenditure up to 2025 on green technologies.