STATE TIMES NEWS
LEH: The Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd) chaired a meeting at the Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat to discuss the Green Hydrogen Roadmap for Ladakh-2030 being implemented by NTPC Ltd.
Chief General Manager (Renewable Energy-Hydrogen), DMR Panda, informed the HLG about setting up Green Hydrogen Fuelling Station, Solar Plant and purchasing five Fuel Cell buses for Ladakh.
He stated that the initiative was taken to help Ladakh achieve its goal of a carbon-neutral region. He also informed about the four pillars of Ladakh’s Green Hydrogen Vision, viz. energy security, employment generation and diversification, carbon neutrality and Self-Reliant (Atma Nirbhar) Ladakh.
The LG inquired if green hydrogen could replace conventional electricity, how much green hydrogen would be produced, if the entire Ladakh would be covered and whether NTPC could do it.
He also asked DMR Panda about the funds for the said project, the land required for the project along with the project’s location and the possible interference of the project with the agricultural land of the locals. The LG inquired about the fare to be charged to the public who would use the buses along with the requirement of drivers for the said fuel cell buses.
DMR Panda informed the HLG that the solar plant would be established at Chushul for which LAHDC Leh has already allotted around 12 acres of land for the said project. He said establishing the solar plant would help to provide electricity round the clock. He also informed the HLG that hydrogen-based energy would help to replace DG sets. DMR Panda informed the LG that NTPC Ltd has signed a tripartite MoU with UT Administration and LAHDC Leh and the company has invested around Rs 75 crores for the said project, with each fuel cell bus costing around Rs 2.5 crores. He requested the UT Administration to reimburse the operational cost of the fuel cell buses.
Terming the proposed project as futuristic which could be a big asset for Ladakh as it involves pollution-free energy generation, the LG gave the green signal to the project.
Principal Secretary, Sanjeev Khirwar; Commissioner/Secretary to the LG, Dr L Franklin; officials from NTPC Ltd and Price waterhouse Coopers (PwC) and Chief Engineer, PDD UT Ladakh, Tsewang Paljor were present in the meeting.