Tata Motors bags order of 15 hydrogen-based fuel cell buses from Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.
The buses will be used to evaluate the potential of developing hydrogen-based PEM fuel-celltechnology in India
Chennai , 30 June, 2021: Reaffirming its commitment towards sustainable mobility, Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle player and leading bus manufacturer, announced that it has won a tender of 15 hydrogen-ba sed proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell buses from the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL). IOCL had invited bids for supply of PEM fuel cell buses in December 2020, and Tata Motors was selected as the winner fol lowing a diligent evaluation process. All 15 buses will be delivered within 144 weeks from the date of signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
In addition to supplying the buses to the Research & Development Centre of IOCL, Tata Motors will also collabo rate with themto undertake R&D projects and collectively study further the potential of Fuel Cell technology for commercial vehicles. This will be done by jointly testing, maintaining and operating these buses for public tran sp ort in real-world conditions in Delhi-NCR. The buses will be refuelled by hydrogen, generated and dispensed by IOCL.
Sh. S.M.Vaidya, Chairman, IndianOil, stated that IndianOil has been pioneering the national efforts towards us hering in the hydrogen economy for various applications, including mobility. This 1st of its kind project in the country is bringing the country’s largest fuel supplier and largest commercial vehicle manufacturer on board to take the hydrogen & fuel cell technology to the next level. This initiative would also act as a stepping stone for various other key programs of IndianOil, which proposes to introduce hydrogen-based mobility on different ic onic routes and important sectors in the country. These futuristic steps are in the right direction for making hydrogen as the ultimate net-zero fuel.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr.Girish Wagh, President, Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors said, “We are delighted to win this prestigious tender from IOCL for it adds to Tata Motors’ rich legacy of introducing future ready technologies for cleaner and greener public transport. We have successfully supplied 215 EV buses under FAME I and wo n orders for 600 EV buses under FAME II. This order to supply PEM Fuel Cell buses from a company as respected as In di an Oil Corporation, further encourages our ongoing efforts on developing India-focused alternative sustainable fuels to transform the future of mobility in India.”
Dr. SSV Ramakumar, Director (R&D), IndianOil while congratulating Tata Motors Ltd., mentioned that lot of hard work has been put in by the IndianOil R&D team towards conceiving, planning and executing this joint developm ental cum demonstration program with a strong support from Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. IndianOil th rough cutting edge R&D, is committed to strengthen the production and supply chain of hydrogen energy in Ind ia and would be setting up ~1 ton per day hydrogen production pilot plants based on 4 innovative pathways besi des collaborating with Tata Motors for fuel cell research.
