To address the energy needs of the NHPC guest house, NHPC will create a pilot green hydrogen fuel cell-based microgrid that includes hydrogen production.

The state-owned hydropower juggernaut NHPC announced on Friday that it had inked two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for the development of pilot green hydrogen technologies to lower the carbon footprint in the power industry in the Leh and Kargil districts of the UT of Ladakh.

According to the official press announcement, NHPC will create a pilot green hydrogen fuel cell-based microgrid, which will also produce hydrogen, to satisfy the guest house’s electricity needs at the Nimmo Bazgo power plant in Leh.

As per MOU signed for Leh district, NHPC shall consider the development of a Pilot Green Hydrogen fuel cell-based Microgrid including Hydrogen production to meet the power requirement of the NHPC guest house. According to the MOU signed for the Kargil district, the hydrogen generated in Kargil will be used in fuel cells for mobility which will be capable to run two buses for up to 8 hrs in the local area of Kargil.

NHPC shall upscale hydrogen production on a commercial scale to supply the hydrogen need of the Ladakh region in different sectors like mobility, transportation, heating, and Micro-grid & subsequent MoU shall be signed separately.

These two Pilot projects will create a roadmap for the future development of Green Hydrogen & subsequent reduction of carbon emissions in the transportation/heating sector and will also attract long-term investment in the Hydrogen economy creating different revenue streams & job opportunities for the youth of UT of Ladakh.

According to the statement, “The hydrogen created in Kargil will be used in fuel cells for mobility, which will be able to drive two buses for up to eight hours in the local Kargil area.”

R K Mathur, the Lieutenant Governor of the UT of Ladakh, was present when the MoUs were signed on Thursday.

In order to meet the region of Ladakh’s needs for hydrogen in several sectors, including mobility, transportation, heating, and microgrid, NHPC intends to scale up hydrogen production on a commercial scale. The ensuing MoU will be signed separately.

In addition to reducing carbon emissions in the transportation and heating sectors, the two pilot projects will lay the groundwork for future green hydrogen development. They will also draw long-term investment into the hydrogen economy, generating new sources of income and job possibilities.