Indian Army seeks hydrogen fuel for mobility vehicles

The Indian Army plans to procure light vehicles, such as Maruti Suzuki Gypsy King MG413W (pictured above), buses, and trucks that run on environmentally friendly fuels, to enhance operational capabilities while ensuring environmental sustainability. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)

The Indian Army has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) to develop and deploy hydrogen fuel cell technology in its heavy-duty mobility vehicles, the company said in a press release on 27 May.

According to IOCL, it also delivered a hydrogen fuel cell bus to the Indian Army during the “handing over and [MOU] signing ceremony” held at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.

During the event, Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande said, “The Indian Army is committed to exploring and adopting innovative technologies that enhance our operational capabilities while ensuring environmental sustainability.”

Gen Pande added that the Indian Army will evaluate the hydrogen bus delivered by IOCL.

According to a press release by the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD), hydrogen fuel cell technology “offers a clean and efficient alternative by converting hydrogen gas into electricity through an electrochemical process”.

The process leaves water vapour as the only by-product, “thus ensuring zero emission”, the MoD said.

According to the MoD, the hydrogen fuel cell bus has a seating capacity of 37 passengers and a mileage of 250–300 km on a full 30 kg onboard tank of hydrogen fuel.

The Indian Army has been taking various initiatives to become a ‘green army' since 2022.

In February the Indian Army proposed the phased induction of electric vehicles in ‘peace stations' across the country.