Powered by Hydrogen
hydrogen fuel cell technology in India finally is coming of age. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (bhel), based in Hyderabad, has developed a pack of 50-kilowatt (kw) phosphoric acid fuel cell (pafc). Though a handful of companies, based in other countries, have manufactured the cell, this is the first time that a pafc has been developed in India. "With this, India joins the select group of countries like usa and Japan which are using this technology,' says H Krishnan, senior deputy general manager at bhel . The pafc will be installed at the at the Sree Rayalseema Alkalies and Allied Chemicals Ltd.'s plant based in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, and the hydrogen supply for the battery will also be obtained from the plant.
Fuel cells are used for generating power, for domestic heating, for air conditioners or in vehicles. In the us , pafc s are already in use in defense installations, hospitals, nursing homes, hotels and some power plants. onsi Corporation, a us -based company, has installed 200-kw pafc plants at over 170 sites worldwide.
A fuel cell operates on hydrogen and oxygen, emitting only heat and water vapour. Hydrogen can be obtained from caustic soda or chlor alkali plants. A Vishwanathan, the deputy general manager (research and development) at bhel, says, the pafc can be used for stationary power production and it fares better than many other types of fuel cells. It operates at about 200
Related Content
- Managing the seasonal variability of electricity demand and supply
- Uttar Pradesh green hydrogen policy, 2024
- Green hydrogen: enabling measures roadmap for adoption in India
- Just energy transition: economic implications for Jharkhand
- Renewable energy opportunities for Mauritania
- World energy employment 2023