IIT BHU creates India’s first device for on-site hydrogen production

The device can be installed at petrol pumps to generate hydrogen for hydrogen-based vehicles. It can be used for electric vehicle charging and supplying electricity to mobile towers. 

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, (IIT BHU) have designed a first-of-its-kind device in India for the on-site production of ultra-pure hydrogen. Rajesh Kumar Upadhyay from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology said, “The device is 100 per cent indigenous and every component is made in IIT (Banaras Hindu University) facilities. The device can be easily installed in petrol pumps. Some of the features of the device are generating hydrogen for hydrogen vehicles, making charging of electric vehicles easy and supplying power to mobile towers, among others.” 

He said, “The device is based on membrane technology for on-site production of ultra-pure hydrogen from methanol. It generates hydrogen, which is fed to the fuel cell to generate electricity. Further, the produced power can be used for EV charging, supplying power to mobile towers, and can also be installed at petrol pumps to generate hydrogen for hydrogen-based vehicles.” 

The device is easy to use and covers a minimum space of 2 m2 (square metre) area. It requires only 0.6 lit/hr of methanol for the production of around 900 lit/hr of hydrogen. 

Natural gas-based device for on-site hydrogen generation 

Upadhyay said his team was also working on a similar device that would be operated using natural gas. It would be even more compact and would produce hydrogen at a much cheaper cost. The project is funded by GAIL (India) Ltd. He added that soon he would start testing the natural gas-based device for on-site hydrogen generation. 

Pramod Kumar Jain, Director IIT (BHU) Varanasi, said, “The device can potentially change the hydrogen energy prospects in India and make hydrogen an energy source for fuelling India’s transportation and power needs. This technology can be a turning point not only in the research areas but also to each and every individual in one way or the other.” 

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