New Delhi: Union Minister Hardeep Puri said today that Green Hydrogen is the "fuel of the future". Speaking at the NDTV Conclave n Delhi, Mr Puri said, "People might not want to use fossil fuels 20 years from now because there will be options. Green Hydrogen will succeed when there's domestic demand and domestic production".
"In 2021, in his address from the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of adopting Green Hydrogen, and many questioned it. When PM says from Red Fort, take it he means it," he said.
Asked about mass acceptability of the fuel, Mr Puri gave the example of how the country switched from wood and coal to LPG cylinders.
"Earlier getting gas cylinders were difficult and women used coal to cook food and it was toxic. We moved from there. Ujjawala scheme gave nine crore gas cylinders. The person who is most vulnerable is of the highest priority," he said.
In case of cars, while the number of electric vehicles is going up, blending petrol with biofuels will reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, he said.
"Technical studies have shown that if there's 20% blending then auto parts won't have corrosion, parts will be better performance. I was told that you can't blend more than 20 per cent," said Mr Puri, who handles the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry.
"We experimented that there won't be any problem till 20 per cent. E20 fuel is right and 2,000 pumps are selling E20 fuel. If we put a target of over 20%, do have the system for that. Today I can tell you that, I can tell you that cars are coming with E85 -- that is, 85 per cent ethanol in fuel.
"There is a trend to completely end fossil fuels," he said, pointing out that will happen only when one invests in renewable energy.