Adani and Reliance Industries Invest in Green Energy: India's First H2ICE Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck Unveiled

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries displayed India's first hydrogen fuel cell truck, known as H2ICE, at the India Energy Week. 

The truck, manufactured by Ashok Leyland, was put on display near the main venue where Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the three-day event. The H2ICE truck has near-zero emissions when it uses hydrogen as fuel instead of diesel or liquefied natural gas (LNG). 

According to the display near the truck, the H2ICE technology is on par with diesel internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in terms of performance. India is rapidly promoting the use of hydrogen, which can be produced from water using electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind. This makes it a green hydrogen fuel source. 

Hydrogen has various applications, including in refineries, steel plants, and fertiliser units where it can replace hydrocarbons. Although the cost of producing hydrogen for use in automobiles is currently high, companies are still investing in hydrogen manufacturing. 

Last month, the Adani Group, owned by billionaire Gautam Adani, announced plans for a hydrogen truck. In January, Adani Enterprises Ltd signed a deal with Ashok Leyland and Ballard Power of Canada to launch a pilot project for a hydrogen fuel cell electric truck (FCET) for mining logistics and transportation. 

The FCET truck will weigh 55 tons, have three hydrogen tanks, a 200 km working range, and will be powered by Ballard's 120 kW PEM fuel cell technology. The Adani Group plans to invest $20 billion over the next decade in renewable energy and component manufacturing, with the goal of becoming a leading green-hydrogen producer. 

Reliance Industries, an oil-to-telecom conglomerate, is also making a shift towards green energy and investing in renewable energy and the hydrogen ecosystem as part of its decarbonization plans. The company is investing $80 billion in multiple green energy projects in Gujarat and plans to set up a 100 GW renewable energy power plant and green-hydrogen ecosystem over the next 10 to 15 years. 

Reliance is also investing in new energy manufacturing, including solar modules, electrolyzers, batteries, and fuel cells. The company aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2035 with its multi-billion investment plan spanning renewables, storage, and hydrogen. According to Reliance, the use of hydrogen in H2ICE vehicles results in a 20% fuel operating expense savings compared to diesel ICE vehicles and a 10-15% reduction in noise. 

The Adani Group intends to triple its renewable power generation capacity over the next four years and achieve net-zero emissions at its ports by 2025. Both Reliance and the Adani Group are investing heavily in green technologies to become leaders in the green energy sector.