IOCL developing fuel cell to power electric vehicles in Andhra Pradesh

The director of Research and Development (R & D) department of the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd Dr SSV Ramakumar said that the State-owned oil and gas company is in the process of developing fuel cell t

VIJAYAWADA: The director of Research and Development (R & D) department of the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd Dr SSV Ramakumar said that the State-owned oil and gas company is in the process of developing fuel cell to power electric vehicles. He said that tapping alternative energy sources is the only way forward as the petroleum reserves are on the decline globally.

Elaborating on the R&D activities of the IOCL at a press interaction here on Saturday, he said, "Oil will not be easily available after 2030. So, alternative energy is what we are working on. For electric vehicles, battery technology is most important factor and it is unavailable as of now. So, hydrogen-based fuel cell is a revolutionary technology on which we are working," he said. He added that it may take 5-10 years for the concept to gain prominence. Hydrogen-based fuel cell also helps in bringing down harmful emissions. "Instead, the tail-end emission will be distilled water," he said.

He further said that the company is working on other disruptive technologies like bio fuel, nanotechnology, and others to offer all kinds of fuels to consumers. In the coming days, Ramakumar said IOCL outlets will offer all types of fuels. "We are making a transformation from oil company to energy firm," he concluded.

The oil and gas company, to facilitate the transmission of LPG from its refinery in Paradip to Andhra Pradesh, would also be augmenting its terminals in Vijayawada and Atchutapuram in Visakhapatnam at a cost of over Rs 660 crore. The IOCL said that the augmentation work will kick off soon.

The executive director (AP and Telangana) of the state-owned oil and gas company, Rahul Bharadwaj, said, "The work pertaining to the terminal in Atchutapuram, 60 km away from Visakhapatnam, will be taken up at a cost of Rs 324 crore, while the one in Kondapalli, near Vijayawada, will be augmented at an expenditure of Rs 340 crore. This is to transfer LPG from our Paradip refinery through the 1,300-km-long pipeline project, which will pass through Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada before reaching Hyderabad," he said.

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