NTPC hands over 5 hydrogen fuel cell buses to Leh

Boosting its decarbonisation efforts, state-run NTPC Ltd handed over 5 hydrogen fuel cell buses to SIDCO (Sindhu Infrastructure Development Corporation), a wholly-owned corporation of Leh Administration, for operations and use on June 18, 2025.

This initiative marks India’s first commercial deployment of hydrogen fuel buses and sets a global benchmark for green mobility by operating at the highest altitude in the world.

Last November, NTPC launched the world’s first hydrogen fuelling station and a Green Hydrogen Mobility Station in Leh. The station at an altitude of 11,562 feet is co-located with a dedicated solar plant of 1.7 megawatts to provide renewable power for its entire operational requirements.

The hydrogen fuel is dispensed at 350 bar (India’s first high-pressure hydrogen dispensation system) in 5 fuel cell buses, designed for operation in sub-zero temperatures in rarefied atmosphere, typical of such altitude locations. "The hydrogen mobility project shall mitigate the carbon emissions of around 350 MT/year and contribute 230 MT/year of pure oxygen into the atmosphere, equivalent to 13,000 tree plantations," says NTPC.

NTPC is India's largest integrated power utility, contributing one-fourth to India’s power requirements and has an installed capacity of over 81 GW, with an additional capacity of 29.5 GW under construction, including 9.6 GW of renewable energy capacity.

Earlier in 2025, Tata Motors , the country’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, launched the first-ever trials of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks. Tata Motors was awarded the tender for this trial, which is funded by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The pilot aims to assess the real-world commercial viability of using hydrogen-powered vehicles for long-distance haulage as well as setting up the requisite enabling infrastructure for their seamless operation.

The trial phase will span up to 24 months and involve the deployment of 16 advanced hydrogen-powered vehicles with varying configurations and payload capacities. These trucks, equipped with new-age Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines (H2-ICE) and Fuel Cell (H2-FCEV) technologies, will be tested on India’s most prominent freight routes, including those around Mumbai, Pune, Delhi-NCR, Surat, Vadodara, Jamshedpur and Kalinganagar.

In June 2021, Tata Motors had won a tender from IOCL to provide 15 FCEV buses to evaluate the potential of hydrogen-based PEM fuel-cell technology in India. These buses are being assessed as potential mass transport solutions for inter- and intra-city commutes.