NTPC REL, a 100 per cent subsidiary of NTPC, signed a MoU with the Union Territory of Ladakh, to set up country’s first Green Hydrogen Mobility project in the region. 

The signing of the MoU was also marked with the inauguration of NTPC’s first solar installations in Leh in form of solar trees and a solar car port.

What is Green Hydrogen?

• As the world rapidly moves to decarbonise the entire energy system, hydrogen is poised to play a vital role and build on the rapid scale-up of renewable resources across the world. 

• Hydrogen when produced by electrolysis using renewable energy is known as Green Hydrogen, which has no carbon footprint. 

• This gives hydrogen the edge over other fuels to unlock various avenues of green usage. 

• Green hydrogen has innumerable applications. Green chemicals like ammonia and methanol can directly be utilised in existing applications like fertilizers, mobility, power, chemicals, shipping, etc. 

• Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the National Hydrogen Mission in Union Budget 2021 for generating hydrogen from green power sources.

Highlights of the MoU:

• The MoU will enable NTPC to help Ladakh develop a carbon-free economy based on renewable sources and green hydrogen. 

• NTPC has planned to ply five hydrogen buses, to start with, in the region and the company will be setting up a solar plant and a green hydrogen generation unit in Leh towards this end. 

• This will put Leh as the first city in the country to implement a green hydrogen-based mobility project. This would be zero emission mobility in true sense.

• NTPC has been aggressively pushing for greening its portfolio and green hydrogen project is another step towards achieving low carbon footprint. 

• NTPC has also been promoting usage of green hydrogen-based solutions in sectors like mobility, energy, chemical, fertilizer, steel, etc.

NTPC

• NTPC, formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, was established in 1975.

• It is India’s largest power utility with an installed capacity of 65,810 MW (including JVs). It plans to become a 130 GW company by 2032. 

• From fossil fuels it has forayed into generating electricity via hydro, nuclear and renewable energy sources. 

• To strengthen its core business, the corporation has diversified into the fields of consultancy, power trading, training of power professionals, rural electrification, ash utilisation and coal mining as well.

• NTPC Group has 70 power stations comprising 24 coal, seven combined cycle gas/liquid fuel, one hydro, 13 renewables along with 25 subsidiary & JV power stations. The group has over 18 GW of capacity under construction, including 5 GW of renewable energy projects.

• NTPC became a Maharatna company in May 2010. 

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