The Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd), chaired a meeting at the Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat to discuss the Green Hydrogen Roadmap for Ladakh-2030, an initiative being implemented by NTPC Ltd.

Chief General Manager (Renewable Energy-Hydrogen), DMR Panda, briefed the LG on plans to establish a Green Hydrogen Fuelling Station, a solar plant, and the procurement of five fuel cell buses for Ladakh. He explained that this initiative is aimed at supporting Ladakh's goal of becoming a carbon-neutral region. Panda highlighted the four pillars of Ladakh’s Green Hydrogen Vision: energy security, employment generation and diversification, carbon neutrality, and self-reliance (Atma Nirbhar Ladakh).

During the meeting, the LG raised key questions regarding the potential of green hydrogen to replace conventional electricity, the scale of green hydrogen production, and whether the entire region of Ladakh would benefit from the project. He also inquired about the project’s funding, the land required for its implementation, and whether it might interfere with local agricultural land. Additionally, the LG asked about the fare for public transport on the fuel cell buses and the need for specialized drivers for these vehicles.

DMR Panda informed the LG that the solar plant would be established in Chushul, with approximately 12 acres of land already allotted by LAHDC Leh for the project. He explained that the solar plant would provide round-the-clock electricity and that hydrogen-based energy could replace diesel generator (DG) sets.

It was further disclosed that NTPC Ltd has signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UT Administration and LAHDC Leh. NTPC has invested around Rs 75 crores in the project, with each fuel cell bus costing approximately Rs 2.5 crores. Panda also requested that the UT Administration reimburse the operational costs of the fuel cell buses.

Terming the project as futuristic and a valuable asset for Ladakh, given its potential for pollution-free energy generation, the LG approved the project.

The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary Sanjeev Khirwar; Commissioner/Secretary to the LG, Dr. L Franklin; officials from NTPC Ltd and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC); and Chief Engineer of the Power Development Department (PDD) UT Ladakh, Tsewang Paljor.