The Jharkhand government has paved the way for the country's "first" hydrogen fuel project by inking a pact with TCPL Green Energy Solutions Private Limited (TCPL GES) to set up a ₹350-crore plant facility in the city of Jamshedpur. Chief Minister of Jharkhand Hemant Soren, said that this is going to be the first hydrogen fuel project of the country, and hydrogen engines built in Jharkhand will be sent across India. "Climate change is a matter of concern, and to mitigate environmental concerns, this will act as a milestone," Soren said.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at Project Bhawan, Ranchi in the presence of CM Soren, who called the occasion "momentous". Ajay Patil, the chief financial officer (CFO) of Tata Cummins, formally signed the MoU with Jitendra Kumar Singh, the director of the State Industries Department. Calling it a historic day, CM Soren said that the state has taken a foot forward towards the implementation of clean energy in daily life. "This is the first foot forward by Tata Motors, Tata Cummings and Jharkhand government, where vehicles will be manufactured which will run on hydrogen,” the CM stated. Wondering why Jharkhand is still called a backward state, Soren said that he is looking for ways to get Jharkhand out of this backwardness.

TCPL GES is a joint venture between Tata Motors and Cummins Inc, USA. The capacity of the proposed unit, which would demand an investment of Rs 354.28 crore, will be over 4,000 hydrogen IC engine/fuel agnostic engines and more than 10,000 battery systems.

The Tata Group, which is a global player in the automobile sector, is also the first Indian conglomerate to set up a production line for cutting-edge green energy-powered commercial heavy vehicle engines, the company officials told the media.

More about the proposed plant

The facility is expected to start commercial production by March 2024, and is likely to provide employment to about 1,000 people directly or indirectly, officials were quoted as saying. Girish Wagh, Executive Director of Tata Motors said that the company is committed to providing green, smart, and safe mobility. "We have a more than 100-year history and rich association with the state of Jharkhand. Tata Cummins Private Ltd, with its fully owned subsidiary, TCPL Green Energy Solutions will invest capital expenditure over the next few years, build and operate the state-of-the-art facility at Jamshedpur to produce zero-emission engines in India," he said. "This (project) will create several opportunities for employment… Our initiative will be to make Jharkhand the hub for green and next-gen technologies. It will become one of the first states in India to open its door for manufacturing of advanced, technology solutions and contribute to reducing the nation's carbon footprint," told Wagh in the press conference.

Wagh mentioned that the project is also an endorsement of the company’s confidence and commitment to making the 'Make in India' initiative a national priority. "We expect to commence production in the near future in a phased manner, starting with hydrogen internal combustion engine, followed by battery-related components and related production. We are hopeful that this facility will act as a catalyst for attracting more investment and employment in Jharkhand," he added.

Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh termed the event as 'historic', asserting that Jharkhand which has been the largest coal producer for the country, is set to take a leadership role to mitigate the impact of climate change, and in green energy production. He also assured the Tata Group officials that they would not face any bureaucracy-related issues throughout the project, and that a nodal officer will be deputed to address all of their concerns. There are several advantages of hydrogen fuel, as it is available in abundance and does not emit harmful substances, the officials added.

Hydrogen has more capacity as compared to other fuels as its energy level is very high besides being cheap and light, therefore, it can be considered a better option between petrol and diesel. Moreover, Hydrogen fuel can also help in controlling pollution to a greater extent. : ED raids Jharkhand FM’s house; Son suspected in money laundering and liquor scam