Adani commissions India’s first hydrogen truck for mining logistics

On 10 May, Adani Enterprises began operating its first hydrogen truck in Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, a mineral-rich state in the central part of India. The company is transporting coal from the Chhattisgarh State Power Generation Company Limited (CSPGCL)’s Gare Pelma III Block mine to a state-owned power plant with this zero-emission model.

Adani Enterprises is using a heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell truck for the new pilot project. The company has not announced the name, but we know that Ashok Leyland, one of India’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, built this model. Most specifications of this truck match the model that Adani Enterprises and Ashok Leyland began co-developing with Canadian PEM fuel cell stack specialist Ballard Power Systems in 2023.

The unnamed hydrogen fuel cell truck from Ashok Leyland features three hydrogen tanks that deliver a range of 200 km. It offers a high payload capacity of up to 40 tonnes, which makes it ideal for mining logistics operations. Ashok Leyland likely uses a Ballard Power Systems-developed 120 kW FCmove fuel cell stack in this model.

Adani Natural Resources (ANR) and Adani New Industries Limited (ANIL), both divisions of Adani Enterprises, are managing the new project. ANIL “We aim to ensure affordable and reliable electricity for all while pioneering new standards in sustainable mining practices,” said Dr. Vinay Prakash, CEO of ANR and Director of Adani Enterprises.

Addressing the media at the flag-off ceremony, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai stated that the state has deployed only one hydrogen truck for now, but it plans to induct more units in the future. Transitioning to hydrogen vehicles will help companies in the predominantly diesel-reliant mining industry reduce both emissions and noise in their operations.

adani.com, youtu.be (2:09 only one unit deployed but more to come)