Himachal’s first hydrogen fuel generation plant to come up in Chamba

The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) will set up a green hydrogen fuel generation plant in Chamba district soon. It would be the first hydrogen fuel plant in the state.

The decision was taken in a meeting of Chamba district administration with NHPC Ltd held recently which was presided over by Chamba Deputy Commissioner DC Rana and attended by NHPC’s General Manager (Project), Chamera-II and Chamera-III SK Sandhu.

Chamba deputy commissioner DC Rana said that it would be the first hydrogen mobility-based project in the district. The plant will produce hydrogen through a 250KW photovoltaic solar plant.

He said that apart from setting up the hydrogen fuel plant the NHPC will also provide the district administration a 33-seater hydrogen fuel cell bus on pilot bases.

The bus will be operated by the Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation in the important tourist places of the district. The range of the hydrogen fuel-powered bus would be 200 km.

After the hydrogen is produced from the solar plant, the remaining electricity supply will be sent to the local grid, he said. Rana said that during the meeting it was also decided that a hydrogen fuel plant will be set up on the land already available with the NHPC.

The deputy commissioner was also directed to constitute a committee of officers of various departments under the chairmanship of the SDM concerned to identify the suitable site for the project.

He also directed that the committee constituted would inspect the land available with the NHPC in different areas of the district on March 15. The deputy commissioner also asked all the departments concerned to meet the departmental parameters required for setting up the project.

It was decided in the meeting that the plant established at IOCL Faridabad would be visited by various departmental and NHPC officials.

Rana said that electric and hydrogen-based fuel technology is expanding in view of climate change. It would be a matter of pride to establish the first such project in the district at the state level.