KPIT Technologies, a major global provider of automotive solutions, has teamed with a number of vehicle original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to develop a process for producing hydrogen from biomass such as wheat and rice straw.
Hydrogen can be created from biomass through microbial action on wheat and rice straw, as well as through wood combustion.
Unlike batteries, which take up a lot of space and lower transporter payloads, hydrogen as a biomass-based fuel has the potential to overcome two significant industry issues: high battery costs and limited battery space on vehicles.
“The cost of hydrogen produced from biomass is significantly less than the cost of green hydrogen at roughly $3 per kilogram,” Ravi Pandit, chairman of KPIT Technologies, explained. Additionally, the fuel cell takes up less space than the batteries in an electric car, which has an effect on the transporter’s payload. According to him, the company operates two biowaste-fueled plants.
According to the technology supplier, India creates around 200 million tons of biowaste annually, excluding earth waste, which has the potential to meet the country’s clean fuel requirements.
If hydrogen adoption is increased, it will be able to meet the entire 4.5 million ton intercity transport requirement by 2030.
According to Pandit, utilizing copious trash can help address concerns such as pollution and fuel import substitution while also providing a sustainable source of revenue for farmers.
On April 3, Sentient Labs, an innovation hub developed by KPIT Technologies in partnership with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the National Chemical Laboratory, showcased a hydrogen-fueled bus. “We believe the bus design we exhibited is highly efficient and has the potential to assist India in transitioning to a hydrogen economy,” Pandit added.
