Conducting study on using CNG-hydrogen mixed fuel: IOCL to SC

Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) today told the Supreme Court that it was conducting a study on using mixture of CNG and hydrogen fuel for buses and would take around six months to come out with a "workable result" on it.

The IOCL told a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur, S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta that following the study, the corporation would conduct trials which would take around six months thereafter.

It said that around Rs 14 crore was required for implementation of the pilot project.

Advocate Aparajita Singh, assisting the top court as an amicus curiae in the air pollution matter, told the bench that the corporation should expedite the process and Rs 14 crore could be given to IOCL from the money collected under environment compensation charge (ECC).

Singh said the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) had a robust CNG infrastructure in place which would help in this process.

The bench, while accepting the submissions of the amicus, said that Rs 15 crore from the ECC be sanctioned to IOCL to conduct the study and carry out the pilot project.

The court listed the matter for further hearing in November.

The amicus had earlier told the court that buses running on hydrogen and CNG mixed fuel would help tackle air pollution.

The court was told that hydrogen and CNG mixed fuel was cleaner fuel compared to CNG and the IOCL has tried this technology.

The bench had earlier suggested that the possibility of using hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles, which are of hybrid nature, and considered cost-effective compared to CNG or electric vehicles, should also be explored.

The issue had cropped up when the apex court was hearing matters related to air pollution in Delhi-NCR.