Future of transport would be built on electric vehicles, biofuels and hydrogen: Nitin Gadkari

Amid the clutter and confusion around the E20 fuel and its impact on vehicles, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has said that hydrogen is the fuel of the future. He said that hydrogen will replace fossil fuels. The minister also said that hydrogen, biofuels and electric vehicles would be the future of transport and industry.

PTI has quoted Gadkari saying that hydrogen would not only be critical for transport but also find applications in other industries. "Trains will run on it, airplanes will fly on it, and dependence on fossil fuels will end," he reportedly said.

Highlighting India's rise in the global automobile market, the minister said the country recently moved up from the seventh to the third position, overtaking Japan. "The American automobile industry is worth ₹78 lakh crore, China's ₹49 lakh crore and India's ₹22 lakh crore. A few days ago, the global chairman of Mercedes told me they will manufacture electric Mercedes cars in India," he added. He said the future of transport and industry would be built on electric vehicles, biofuels and hydrogen. "If these are adopted on a wide scale, we will steadily move toward carbon neutrality. This will create jobs, protect the environment and accelerate development," Gadkari said.

Speaking about the hydrogen fuel, the minister said that India can match oil-producing nations with cheap hydrogen. He said that India can transform from being an energy importer to a global exporter if it can cut the cost of hydrogen production to one dollar per kilogramme. Hydrogen costs about $5-6 per kg, making it expensive compared to conventional fuels. "If we succeed in bringing it down to USD 1 per kg, India will be in a position similar to today's oil-producing countries," Gadkari said while stressing that hydrogen would play a decisive role in shaping the energy future.

The minister also said the biggest hurdle lies in setting up hydrogen filling stations and developing systems to transport the fuel. "These areas need urgent and extensive work," he said.

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