The hydrogen-powered vehicle was on exhibit by billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries during the India Energy Week in Bengaluru on Monday. Hydrogen is the cleanest fuel currently available, with only water and oxygen as its exhaust byproducts, news agency PTI reported. 


The Ashok Leyland-made vehicle with two enormous hydrogen cylinders was placed up at a hall adjacent to the main site where Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the three-day event that is themed around 'Growth, Collaboration, Transition,' as stated in the report. 


According to the report, a sign near the truck stated that it was "India's 1st H2ICE technology truck on road." When hydrogen is used as fuel instead of a conventional diesel or even recently introduced liquefied natural gas, the truck emits "near-zero emissions" (LNG).


Features Of The Vehicle Presented: 


"H2ICE vehicle performance is comparable to diesel ICE," it stated.


H2 is the hydrogen formula, while ICE stands for an internal combustion engine.


Reliance said in a statement that the truck it showcased is India's first Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine technology solution for heavy-duty trucks.


"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," the company stated.


As part of its net carbon zero vision, Reliance has been working with its vehicle partner Ashok Leyland and other technical partners to create this unique technology since last year, with the first engines expected to run in early 2022.


Hydrogen has a wide range of applications, from refineries to steel mills and fertiliser facilities, where it can be used to replace hydrocarbons. Hydrogen can also be utilised as a fuel in automobiles, but the current cost of production is prohibitively expensive. However, this has not deterred firms from investing in hydrogen production.


Gautam Adani's company unveiled plans for a hydrogen truck last month.


Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL), a subsidiary of the Adani Group, signed a deal in January to commence 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 mining truck will weigh 55 tonnes, feature three hydrogen tanks, have a working range of 200 kilometres, and be powered by Ballard's 120 kW PEM fuel cell technology.


Future Plans Of The Company Towards Green Hydrogen: 


The Adani Group earlier stated plans to invest more than USD 50 billion in green hydrogen and associated ecosystems over the next ten years, amounting to a capacity of up to 3 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually, as per the report. 


As part of its decarbonisation efforts, the oil-to-telecom behemoth Reliance is also taking a green turn, investing in renewable energy power generation as well as the full hydrogen ecosystem, the report said. 


According to the report, it would invest Rs 5 lakh crore over 10 to 15 years to build a 100 GW renewable energy power plant and a green hydrogen ecosystem. It has begun the process of scouting land in Kutch, Banaskantha, and Dholera for 100 GW renewable energy generation projects, and has sought 4,50,000 acres of land in Kutch.


The corporation will invest an extra Rs 60,000 crore in establishing 'new energy manufacturing,' which will comprise solar modules, electrolyzers, energy storage batteries, and fuel cells.


In the next three to five years, another Rs 25,000 crore would be spent on existing businesses and new ventures.


In 2021, Reliance announced a multibillion-dollar investment plan encompassing renewables, storage, and hydrogen, including the world's largest green energy equipment 'giga-complex' with a 100GW capacity objective.


The three-year investment would catapult Reliance to net-zero emissions status by 2035, according to the statement issued by the company.


Reliance noted at the display alongside the hydrogen truck that using hydrogen saves 20% on fuel operation expenses over diesel ICE vehicles. It also results in a 10-15% noise reduction over diesel ICE automobiles, according to the company.


According to PTI, which cited sources, Reliance has roughly two dozen hydrogen-powered trucks in testing in Gujarat.


Currently, a 19-tonne truck can go 100 kilometres on 6 kilogrammes of hydrogen, whereas a 35-tonne vehicle can travel the same distance on 8 kilogrammes of hydrogen.


The company is working on redesigning the hydrogen casket to carry more fuel and provide a 400-km range on a single fill.


According to PTI, Reliance wants to replace its entire fleet of diesel-powered vehicles with hydrogen-powered trucks over the next five years.


Adani Group wants 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 plans to triple its renewable energy generation capacity over the next four years, become a green hydrogen producer, power all of its data centres with renewable energy by 2030, achieve net-zero emissions at its ports by 2025, and devote more than 75 per cent of capital expenditure to green technologies by 2025.


(With Inputs From PTI)