Hydrogen-natural gas: a transitional fuel
The CNG programme in Delhi provides the immediate bridge for transitioning to hydrogen in India. In a major initiative to bridge the gap between hydrogen and CNG, the Indian Oil Corporation Limited commissioned a hydrogen-compressed natural gas (H-CNG/hythane) dispensing station at Dwarka in January. The company initiated this project in order to diversify the energy mix of the country which ultimately will result in energy security in the future. This dispensing station will make H-CNG available for three-wheelers and cars. The project is funded jointly by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas with an investment of Rs. 5 crore. The first experimental H-CNG dispensing station was commissioned at the IOC-R&D center campus, Faridabad in October 2005 for conducting studies on emission and performance characteristics on three and four-wheelers using various blends of hydrogen in CNG. Since then field trials have been underway on three-wheelers and passenger cars.