Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar flags off NTPC’s green hydrogen buses

Kargil, Nov 23: Union Minister of Power, Housing, and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar Saturday concluded his three-day visit to Ladakh flagging off National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)’s green hydrogen buses and visiting the waste-to-art sculpture site in Leh.

Khattar had arrived in Leh on Thursday for a three-day visit, his maiden after assuming office.

During his visit, he laid the foundation and inaugurated several projects.

Khattar also met the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh and senior officials of the Ladakh administration and reviewed several projects and schemes under his ministry.

On the last day of his tour, he flagged off the NTPC’s green hydrogen fuel cell buses as part of the Green Hydrogen Mobility Project, Leh.

The project is the world’s highest altitude (3650m MSL) green hydrogen mobility project.

After the flag-off, Khattar travelled 12 km in one of the H2 buses from the H2 filling station to the Leh airport.

He congratulated NTPC for its contribution to the energy security and decarbonisation efforts of the country through the adoption of hydrogen technologies at various fronts like mobility, blending with PNG, green methanol and its overall thrust on renewable energy.

Khattar also inaugurated NTPC's Green Hydrogen Mobility Project in Leh, featuring a hydrogen fueling station, a 1.7 MW solar plant, and five fuel cell buses operating at 11,562 feet.

This marks India's first hydrogen bus deployment on public roads.

NTPC targets 60 GW renewable energy capacity by 2032 and leadership in green hydrogen and energy storage.

This station would mitigate the carbon emissions of approximately 350 metric tons a year and contribute 230 metric tons per year of pure oxygen into the atmosphere which is equal to the planting of approximately 13,000 trees.

Earlier Khattar visited the waste-to-art sculptures site in Leh.

The sculptures at the site have been created out of waste and junk material and installed during the Y-20 Summit in 2023.