Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has outlined plans for Delhi’s public buses to eventually operate on hydrogen fuel produced from segregated municipal waste.
Speaking at a youth conclave organised by the Delhi BJP on Monday (6 July), the minister highlighted how converting municipal waste into hydrogen could provide an environmentally friendly fuel alternative.
“Garbage will be segregated and used to produce hydrogen through biodigesters. The buses in Delhi will run on it. All of this is possible,” Gadkari said.
The Union minister stated that around 8 million tonnes of waste excavated from Delhi’s landfill sites have been recycled for use in expressway projects, adding that the Centre aims to make the country free of legacy landfill waste by 2027.
He further underlined the commercial value of waste management, saying the municipal corporation in his parliamentary constituency generates approximately Rs 25 crore annually by selling treated wastewater.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has approved five pilot projects involving 37 vehicles and nine hydrogen refuelling stations across ten routes nationwide, with the government providing financial support of approximately Rs 208 crore.
Major industry players including Tata Motors, Reliance Industries, NTPC, Ashok Leyland, and oil marketing companies have been awarded these projects.
Delhi has already begun piloting hydrogen fuel cell buses in collaboration with Delhi Transport Corporation and NTPC, with operational arrangements currently being finalised.
