Tata Motors to supply 15 hydrogen-powered fuel cell buses to Indian Oil Corporation
The collaboration brings together India’s largest fuel supplier and largest commercial vehicle manufacturer for potentially developing hydrogen-based PEM fuel-cell technology in India.
Tata Motors, a major commercial vehicle producer in India, has won a tender for supplying 15 hydrogen-powered proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell buses to the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL).
IOCL invited bids for the supply of PEM fuel cell buses in December 2020, and after the evaluation process, Tata Motors has been selected to deliver supply these units to the R&D Centre of IOCL within 144 weeks from the date of signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Both companies will also collaborate to undertake R&D projects and jointly study the potential of fuel cell technology for commercial vehicles through testing, maintaining and operating the buses for public transport in real-world conditions in Delhi-NCR. The fuel cell buses will be refuelled by hydrogen, generated and dispensed by IOCL.
The project would also support various other key programs of IndianOil, which proposes introducing hydrogen-based technology in several sectors and help make hydrogen the ultimate net-zero fuel.
Sh. S.M.Vaidya, Chairman, IndianOil, said that IndianOil has been pioneering the national efforts towards ushering in the hydrogen economy for various applications, including mobility.
Mr Girish Wagh, President, Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors, said that winning the tender from IOCL will support Tata Motors in introducing future ready technologies for cleaner and greener public transport. Tata Motors has supplied 215 EV buses under FAME I and won orders for 600 EV buses under FAME II.
Dr SSV Ramakumar, Director (R&D), IndianOil said that IndianOil is committed to strengthening the production and supply chain of hydrogen energy in India and would be setting up around 1 tonne/day hydrogen production pilot plants based on four innovative pathways besides collaborating with Tata Motors for fuel cell research.
Updated:
Ballard Power Systems confirmed that it will supply 70 kW FCmoveTM-HD fuel cell modules to power 15 of Tata’s zero-emission Fuel Cell Electric Buses (FCEBs). Ballard plans to complete the delivery of all modules by 2022. The buses are planned for deployment in Faridabad, the largest city in New Delhi.
