The Indian Army has collaborated with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) for sustainable transport solutions. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Army and the IOCL and at the event, a hydrogen fuel cell-powered bus was delivered to the Indian Army. At the event, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande and Indian Oil Chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaid were present and the bus that was delivered was made by Tata Motors. The first Hydrogen fuel cell powered bus was delivered to IOCL by Tata Motors in September 2023.

IndianOil is currently operating 15 fuel cell buses in the Delhi-NCR region accumulating a total mileage of 3,00,000 kilometers i.e. 20000 kms on each bus. Mr. S M Vaidya, Chairman, IndianOil said, “It is indeed a very momentous day today that a bus which is part of the green hydrogen fuel cell bus fleet will now be operated by the Indian Army. This collaboration with the Indian Army is a landmark step towards a greener and more sustainable future."

The hydrogen fuel cell bus has a seating capacity of 37 passengers. The bus has a driving range of 250-300 km on a full 30 kg tank of hydrogen fuel. The bus runs by converting hydrogen gas into electricity through an electro-chemical process. The by-product of the whole process is water vapour.

A pilot project is being set up at Chushul, where a 200 Kilo Watt green hydrogen-based microgram will provide 24x7 clean electricity to troops. General Manoj Pande, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC, the Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army shared his thoughts on the collaboration, stating, "The partnership between IndianOil and the Indian Army spans over six decades and is built on an unbreakable bond of trust. The Indian Army is committed to exploring and adopting innovative technologies that enhance our operational capabilities while ensuring environmental sustainability. We will be testing one of the hydrogen buses, and I must thank IndianOil for choosing the Indian Army as their partner."

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