Trial run of Delhi’s buses on Hydrogen-blended CNG (HCNG) launched

Trial run of Delhi’s buses on Hydrogen-blended CNG (HCNG) launched

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Technology; Environment

In news

• The trial run of Delhi’s buses on Hydrogen-blended CNG (HCNG) was recently launched.
• Ministry: Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas

Key takeaways

• HCNG is a hydrogen-enriched compressed natural gas (CNG).
• In Delhi, instead of physically blending hydrogen with CNG, hydrogen spiked CNG will be produced using compact reforming process patented by Indian Oil Corporation.
• H-CNG blends can be produced directly from CNG, bypassing the energy-intensive electrolysis process and high-pressure blending costs.
• The flexible and robust process allows the production of H-CNG on-site, in less severe conditions, and under low pressure.
• It provides a higher yield H-CNG mixture by up to 4% to 5% compared to CNG’s input quantity.
• The cost of H-CNG production by the above process is about 22% cheaper than conventional physical blending.

Do you know?

• The Supreme Court had suggested in 2019 to look at hydrogen-run vehicles as a solution for Delhi NCR’s poor air quality 
• An SC directive in July 2018 had led to Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) collaborating to put up this first semi-commercial plant.
• Mixing hydrogen with CNG physically is a difficult proposition and that is why IOCL came up with the compact reforming process, which reforms CNG and there is no need for mixing.