Amara Raja Infra opens India’s first green hydrogen fuelling station

Amara Raja Infra built the green hydrogen fuelling station in Leh for the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), a public sector power generation company, and it took two years to complete this pilot project. “The completion of this challenging project has reaffirmed our EPC expertise, and we are very excited that we were the first player to enter the green hydrogen infrastructure space,” Dwarakanadha Reddy, Amara Raja Infra’s Business Head (Power EPC), said. Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs Manohar Lal inaugurated the new facility, signifying its importance for the country.

The first green hydrogen fuelling station has a daily production capacity of 80 kg and dispenses hydrogen at 350 bar pressure. India’s Ministry of Power estimates this facility will reduce carbon emissions by 350 metric tons annually and release 230 metric tons of pure oxygen into the atmosphere each year, matching the contribution of approximately 13,000 trees.

NTPC utilises the green hydrogen fuelling station for five units of India’s first 9-metre hydrogen fuel cell electric bus. Ashok Leyland, India’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, developed this eco-friendly intra-city bus. FCEVs are more suitable than BEVs for a cold place like Leh, where the temperature drops as low as around -25ºC in the winter.

Ashok Leyland uses an 80 kW fuel cell system and only one electric motor that produces 120 kW and 409 Nm of torque in the 9-metre hydrogen fuel cell electric bus. This model has three 350-litre tanks, and according to the Ministry of Power, it delivers a range of 300 km with 25 kg of hydrogen. The zero-emission intra-city bus measures 9,850 mm in length and has a 4,900 mm wheelbase. It accommodates 35 seats and features an air suspension at the rear for enhanced passenger comfort.

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