India: PM Modi launches hydrogen-powered ferry: features, significance

India: PM Modi launches hydrogen-powered ferry: features, significance

Built by the Cochin Shipyard Limited, the ferry will be deployed for service in Varanasi. Here's why India developing the environment-friendly vessel is significant.

IndianExpress.com | Shaju Philip | March 1, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday virtually launched India’s first indigenously developed hydrogen fuel cell ferry. The vessel, manufactured by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), will be deployed for service at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

Built at a cost of Rs 18 crore, the ferry will be handed over to the Inland Waterways Authority of India by the CSL after rigorous trials. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways met 75 per cent of the project cost.

What are the special features of the vessel?

The Hydrogen fuel cell vessel is a 24-meter-long catamaran, which can carry 50 people in its air-conditioned passenger area. The accommodation area has been constructed with high-quality fiberglass reinforced plastic, similar to metro train coaches.

Hydrogen fuel cell vessels do not use conventional batteries as the primary storage house of electrical energy. The vessels run on hydrogen fuel, which is stored in cylinders. This boat has five hydrogen cylinders that can carry 40kg of hydrogen and support eight hours of operations. The vessel is also fitted with a 3-kW solar panel...more
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/pm-modi-launches-hydrogen-powered-ferry-features-significance-9188830/



India's National Green Hydrogen Mission



India has set its sight on becoming energy independent by 2047 and achieving Net Zero by 2070. To achieve this target, increasing renewable energy use across all economic spheres is central to India's Energy Transition. Green Hydrogen is considered a promising alternative for enabling this transition. Hydrogen can be utilized for long-duration storage of renewable energy, replacement of fossil fuels in industry, clean transportation, and potentially also for decentralized power generation, aviation, and marine transport...more
https://www.india.gov.in/spotlight/national-green-hydrogen-mission