Within a month of launching its first hydrogen-powered train, Indian Railways is now looking for cheaper green hydrogen options to expand operations. Indian Railways is considering several measures to expand the pool of green hydrogen suppliers and bring down procurement expenses, including providing manufacturers with offtake assurances.According to official estimates, hydrogen trains had clocked more than 2,500 km of commercial operations by early August, after services began in mid-July this year.
India currently has the world’s most powerful hydrogen train in operation and has also established a dedicated facility for manufacturing and supplying hydrogen for the train. The initial target is to deploy 35 hydrogen-powered trains on heritage routes, which generally include hilly stretches where railway electrification will not be feasible.India aims to establish 5 MMT (million metric tonne) of annual domestic green hydrogen production capacity by 2030. In February this year, the country achieved its lowest-ever discovered green hydrogen price of Rs 279 (around $3.08) per kg in a tender for supplying 10,000 tonnes a year to Numaligarh Refinery in Assam.Former Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said government incentives and lower-cost renewable power were helping support the price. “This milestone boosts cost competitiveness and marks rapid sector progress,” he said, adding that green hydrogen at $2/kg “is not a distant dream anymore.”
