Nagpur: The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said that green hydrogen is the fuel of the future. “Today, our country is importing oil fuel worth Rs 16 lakh crore and to reduce this cost Bio CNG, green hydrogen should be used excessively. If green hydrogen is produced with the help of solar energy, electricity will be available to consumers at cheaper rates. green hydrogen is the fuel of the future and since green hydrogen is produced from biomass, farmers should produce this green hydrogen,” appealed Gadkari.
The Minister was addressing installation programme of All India Renewable Energy Association (AIREA) Headquarter in Nagpur. Dinesh Waghmare, Energy Secretary of Maharashtra State, Ravindra Jagtap, Director General of Maharashtra Energy Development Agency – Mahaurja were prominently present on this occasion.
Gadkari informed that the contribution of solar energy in renewable energy is important and more than 40 percent contribution in energy basket and 250 giga watt capacity is in solar energy, investment of Rs 7.80 lakh crore and employment opportunities will be available. Initiatives like Solar Cooker and Solar Chul are being started by the Ministry of Rural Development of the Central Government. He said that since the distribution losses of more than Rs 10 lakh crore are incurred in the distribution of Mahavitran companies, there is a plan before the Union Cabinet to introduce a system like electricity prepaid card.
Gadkari further said that the Union Ministry of MSME had prepared a plan that entrepreneurs who use electricity with the help of solar roof panels would get a subsidy in their electricity bill. But it did not get a positive response from the distribution companies. He also suggested bringing a central law regarding giving subsidies to the electricity distribution companies. Electricity will be saved if solar power is used in public places as well as public transport system. He explained that Maha Metro Nagpur is also using solar energy.
Speaking on the occasion, Dinesh Waghmare said that solar roof top has a lot of potential. The Union Government has recently decided to launch a national portal through the Ministry of Power to provide solar subsidy through direct benefit transfer.
On this occasion, representatives of renowned companies in the field of solar, wind, biogas, hydrogen and water conservation as well as experts in the field of renewable energy were present.