ANNOUNCEMENTS
The world is facing an urgent need to shift towards cleaner energy sources to combat climate change, and India, with its growing economy and increasing energy demands, has a critical role to play in this transition. As the world's third-largest energy consumer and the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, India is under pressure to adopt more sustainable energy solutions (International Energy Agency, 2021). Currently, India’s share in world’s primary energy consumption is 6.1%which may rise to about 9.8% by 2050 (PIB, Delhi, 2022). This thesis aims to explore the potential of fuel cells in the transportation sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, focusing on their use in long-haul vehicles, buses, cars, and locomotives.
A report from IEA says that, India's energy demand may grow by 4.2% per year, and its greenhouse gas emissions are projected to increase by 50% by 2040. The adoption of fuel cells in transportation could significantly reduce these emissions. For instance, fuel cell locomotives could reduce rail emissions by up to 70%, while also cutting fuel costs by up to 30% (Kowtham Raj, Pranav Lakhina, Clay Stranger, 2022) . Moreover, India has announced ambitious targets to elevate the amount of renewable energy to 450 GW by 2030, which could provide the necessary infrastructure for the generation and distribution of GH2 to power fuel cells.
This thesis will conduct an analysis of the current and future applications of fuel cells in transportation, including projection of FCEV penetration in the road transport sector by 2030, calculation of the required fuel cell capacity to meet the projected demand, estimation of the necessary investment and calculation of levelized cost of fuel cell. It also aims to delve into the potential benefits, challenges, and policy recommendations to meet the future prospects of FCEVs in India, shedding light on the path toward a greener and more sustainable mobility landscape. By exploring the potential of fuel cells in India's transportation sector, this thesis aims to contribute to the country's efforts to transition towards a more sustainable energy system.
Keywords: Fuel Cell electric vehicles, Hydrogen, levelized cost of fuel cell.
