Mar 16 2009
Air Products (NYSE: APD) announced that it will supply hydrogen fueling equipment for a hydrogen transportation demonstration project in New Delhi, India. The project, being financially and technically supported by The International Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies (ICHET) of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will be conducted over two years beginning in July 2010 and include development of a fleet of 15 three-wheeled vehicles.
The hydrogen-powered fleet will transport visitors at the Pragati Maidan, where many large public exhibitions are held in New Delhi, in partnership with the India Trade Promotion Organization. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi, a pioneer in hydrogen research in India, will oversee the project’s management, and the vehicles will be developed by Mahindra & Mahindra, one of the major automobile manufacturers in India, in collaboration with IIT-Delhi.
Air Products and INOX Air Products will be providing the hydrogen fueling equipment, expertise on hydrogen safety, and hydrogen supply strategy. “This is yet another novel demonstration of hydrogen for use as an energy carrier in the transportation industry. This fleet of popular three wheeled vehicles will be operating in a very public forum with high visibility in this heavily used exhibition area. We’re pleased to be involved with another hydrogen project in India and look forward to a continuing relationship,” said Tom Joseph, business development manager for Hydrogen Energy Systems at Air Products.
Project organizers hope the fleet will be operated well beyond the end of this project and that it will help support the establishment of hydrogen refueling facilities and hydrogen vehicles across New Delhi and India. UNIDO-India will be completing the consortium of team members involved with the project and undertaking liaison activities in collaboration with the Indian Minister of New and Renewable Energy and ICHET, which is based in Turkey and is funded by the Turkish Ministry of Energy. ICHET’s aim is to support developing countries leap-frog the use of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier by helping in the development and demonstration of such technologies by supporting universities and industries.