Lack of green H2 infra key issue in expanding clean transport: Gadkari

Shortage of hydrogen filling stations and the lack of transportation infrastructure for the fuel are major challenges in expanding the green public transport network, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, said on Wednesday. 

“In the coming days, green public transport is our future. The biggest problem is the hydrogen filling stations and transport of hydrogen in which there needs to be a lot of work done,” he said while addressing the 24th Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in New Delhi. 

Gadkari underlined the need to shift away from private vehicles by offering airline-like facilities in public transport at lower costs. He cited the example of Nagpur’s flash-charging electric bus system, which he said is more comfortable and cheaper than diesel-fuelled buses. 

 

The minister suggested that municipal waste could be converted to green hydrogen to make it cheaper and more viable. Gadkari also stressed that building “smart villages” is as important as developing smart cities. Deploying new technologies in critical areas can ensure rural growth along with creation of employment opportunities, he said.

 

He also said India must strive to become energy self-sufficient, moving from being a net importer to a net exporter of energy. While traditional power companies are under financial stress, the expansion of solar energy and nuclear power could help strengthen the sector, he added.