Context
Recently, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways decided to develop and build India’s first indigenous Hydrogen Fuelled Electric Vessels at Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL).
Key-points
- The move is part of India’s transformative efforts on the innovative and new technology front on green energy, sustainable cost-effective alternate fuel front.
- The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vessel is based on Low Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Technology (LT-PEM) called Fuel Cell Electric Vessel (FCEV).
- Application: Hydrogen Fuel cells can be used in a wide range of applications, including:
- Transportation
- Material handling, stationary, portable
- Emergency backup power applications
- Fuel cells operating on hydrogen fuel are an efficient, environmentally-friendly, zero emission, direct current (DC) power source already applied to heavy duty bus, truck, and train applications, and are now under development for marine applications.
- The is expected to augment the country’s efforts in achieving the Prime Minister’s target of becoming carbon neutral by 2070, and also in complying with the standards set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO)that envisages a reduction in carbon intensity of international shipping by at least 40% by 2030, and progressively to 70% by 2050.
- India was committed towards a sustainable and clean environment and, hence, called for the “One Sun – One World – One Grid” initiative, as a lead player in the International Solar Alliance.
What is FCEV?
- Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are powered by hydrogen.
- They only emit water vapour and warm air.
- They are more efficient than conventional internal combustion engine vehicles and produce no tailpipe emissions.
- FCEVs use a propulsion system similar to that of electric vehicles, where energy stored as hydrogen is converted to electricity by the fuel cell.
About Fuel Cell
- Fuel cells and batteries convert chemical energy into electrical energy and are very useful forms of galvanic cells.
- A galvanic or voltaic cell is an electrochemical cell that converts chemical energy into electrical energy through the redox reactions that occur within the cell.
- A hydrogen fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts specifically hydrogen into electrical energy.
- Galvanic cells that are designed to convert the energy of combustion of fuels like hydrogen, methane, methanol, etc. directly into electrical energy are called fuel cells. One of the most successful fuel cells uses the reaction of hydrogen with oxygen to form water.
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