India on Sunday got its first indigenously developed hydrogen fuel cell bus in a major push towards climate change goals under the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission.

The hydrogen fuel cell powered bus has been co-developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and private firm KPIT Limited.

Union minister Jitendra Singh unveiled the bus at an event in Pune.

According to reports, the fuel cell utlises hydrogen and air to generate electricity which powers the bus, meanwhile giving out water as a waste product.

This makes it one of the most environmentally friendly transportation mode. A single long-distance diesel bus in comparison emits 100 tons of CO2 annually and there are over a million of these types of buses in India.

On the other hand, the fuel cell vehicle also gives zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Union minister of state for science and technology, Jitendra Singh, while speaking said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hydrogen vision is important to ensure Atmanirbhar Bharat by means of affordable and accessible clean energy.

He mentioned that this will meet the climate change goals and create new entrepreneurs and jobs in the country.

Singh said, “Green hydrogen is an excellent clean energy vector that enables deep decarbonisation of difficult-to-abate emissions from the refining industry, fertiliser industry, steel industry, cement industry and also from the heavy commercial transportation sector.”

It may be mentioned that the operating cost of a hydrogen fuel cell truck is lower than that of a diesel truck hinting towards a potential freight revolution in the country.

“About 12-14 per cent of CO2 emissions come from diesel powered heavy vehicles. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles provide excellent means to eliminate on-road emissions in this sector,” the Union minister added.