India is perfecting the production of a fuel made from fresh water, with water as the only byproduct. This fuel already powers India's rockets, and now pilot projects are underway to use it for public transportation in remote Leh, Ladakh, and in the heavily polluted National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi. This dream fuel is called Green Hydrogen.
India has a high energy demand and is actively seeking local energy solutions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been advocating for Green Hydrogen as an indigenous mobility option. Hydrogen is especially appealing as it can be produced by splitting water, and its only emission is water.
NDTV's Science Editor Pallava Bagla visited NTPC Ltd's Green Hydrogen plant, a cutting-edge project in Leh, Ladakh, at the world's highest altitude. On August 1, 2022, Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for this unique project. As the lightest and most abundant element, hydrogen holds promise as an efficient future fuel, and governments are exploring its potential to replace oil and gas.
Hydrogen is so energy-rich that, in its liquefied form and combined with liquid oxygen, it powers India's heaviest rocket, the Bahubali, developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). India's Launch Vehicle Mark-3 uses liquefied hydrogen in the cryogenic upper stage of its 640-ton rocket, which also carried the Chandrayaan-3 on its historic mission. However, hydrogen is highly flammable, so extreme precautions are essential.
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