The Horiba hydrogen ICE test bed facility is the first of its kind in India where manufacturers can test and develop internal combustion engines (ICE) that use hydrogen as a fuel.
Horiba are a Japanese company based in Kyoto who have had a presence in India since 2006. Their expertise includes energy and environment, bio and healthcare, and materials and semiconductor. Their contribution to the automotive sector mostly involves testing. The Horiba hydrogen ICE test bed facility should aid our country’s zero-emission goals effectively but the initial focus will be on commercial vehicles. Once an ecosystem for hydrogen is in place and green hydrogen is available at a competitive price, we can expect to see this tech in passenger cars also. However, a timeline is unavailable at this time.
The hydrogen test bed is part of the Horiba India Technical Centre (HITC) which is already a crucial testing facility for numerous Indian OEMs. The hydrogen test bed has the capacity to test engines up to 517 hp (380 kW) which is good enough for most commercial vehicles. To begin with, they are planning to test diesel engines using hydrogen as fuel. Hydrogen’s characteristics as a fuel is extremely beneficial for the planet but it is a power source that needs to be handled with care. Horiba representatives made it clear that they are not interested in developing a hydrogen-powered ICE themselves. Rather they aim to aid the research and development of the same by working with multiple OEMs. They claim that their facility has been designed to accommodate the volatile nature of hydrogen. The structure of the test bed itself is not part of the main building and engineers have added dedicated failure zones to ensure that the damage is limited should there be a failure of any sort. Horiba insisted that safety was their top priority when designing the set-up.
Hydrogen as a fuel in India is still in its nascent stage because in addition to developing engines that can combust it, we also need robust systems in place to transport it safely. Of course, these are challenges that will be addressed over time. However, experts from Horiba are confident that once an ecosystem for the production and supply of green hydrogen is ready, the rest of it will fall into place quickly.
Note: ‘Green hydrogen’ refers to hydrogen that is produced with a minimal carbon footprint.
Story: Joshua Varghese
