In a regulatory filing this week, Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) announced that it entered into a quadripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of Kerala, Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (ANERT), BluJ Aerospace, and Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) to develop the world’s first hydrogen-fueled vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft ecosystem.
“Green hydrogen holds the potential to transform aviation and urban mobility,” said MD and Chairman G. Krishnakumar, “This partnership reflects our resolve to lead in clean energy solutions that are innovative and practical for a sustainable future.”
This move is in line with Kerala’s growing Hydrogen Valley Program, with BPCL planning to add more infrastructure in the form of its upcoming Hydrogen Refuelling Stations (HRS) in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
“These stations will be essential in promoting commercial hydrogen applications and encouraging the wider uptake of hydrogen-powered transportation solutions,” stated the company.
BPCL would establish hydrogen refuelling infrastructure for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft developed by BluJ Aerospace through its HRS in the two major Kerala cities.
Bharat Petroleum also looks to add to the R&D efforts in designing and developing an Indigenous Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Hydrogen Fuel Cell—a power source with high power density to use in vertical lift-off.
The MoU was executed on March 12 by Ranjan Nair, Business Head – Renewable Energy at BPCL; Narendra Nath Veluri, IFS, CEO of ANERT; Maruthi Amardeep Sri Vatsavaya, CEO of BluJ Aerospace; and Manu G, Airport Director at CIAL.
K.R. Jyothilal, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary at the Department of Energy, Government of Kerala; Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, IAS, Former Secretary, MNRE, Government of India; and Dr. Bharat L. Newalkar, CGM (R&D) were present, along with other officials from both the state and central governments, ANERT, and CIAL.
Along with this, BPCL also inked another MoU with KPIT Technologies at the recently concluded Global Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Summit in Kochi to deploy a locally developed alkaline electrolyser for hydrogen production. KPIT Technologies would contribute an indigenously designed fuel cell-powered bus for the same.
