Delhi High Court Stresses On Incentivising Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology Under FAME II Scheme

The Delhi High Court has directed the Department of Heavy Industries, Government of India, to consider including Hydrogen Fuel Cell electric vehicles and Hydrogen Refuelling infrastructure within the gambit of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) India Phase II scheme. The Court has also asked the government to consider allocating unutilised funds from the FAME India Phase II scheme towards promoting and incentivising the demand for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles & construction and operation of hydrogen refuelling stations.

The Court has also asked the government to consider allocating unutilised funds from the FAME India Phase II scheme.

The plea came up for hearing before a division bench of Delhi High Court lead by Chief Justice D.N. Patel, was filed by Advocate Ashwini Kumar. It stated that the FAME India Scheme aims at encouraging domestic manufacture of electric vehicles and to promote and create a market for electric vehicles in India. The plea further stated that the primary objectives of the FAME scheme are to reduce the dependency on petroleum resources, counter the impact of internal combustion engine vehicles on the environment, and to keep pace with the gradual shift of the automobile industry towards alternate fuels including electric vehicles.

The petitioner had asked the court to direct the government to allocate a part of the unutilised funds from the FAME India Phase II Scheme.

The plea also mentioned that the FAME II scheme has not adequately utilised its budget towards adoption of electric vehicles. For instance, out of a total budget of Rs. 700 crores for setting up charging infrastructure only Rs. 20 crores have been disbursed in the period from 2019 to February 10, 2021. The petitioner had asked the court to direct the government to allocate a part of the unutilised funds from the FAME India Phase II Scheme for promoting and incentivising demand for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and construction and operation of hydrogen refuelling stations. Interestingly, arguments also brought to the notice that production of green hydrogen that using electrolysis of water, also generates 99 per cent pure Oxygen which would ensure that India will never fall short of oxygen supply in future.