Prof TN Veziroglu, president of International Association of Hydrogen Energy (IAHE), Florida (US), would send a recommendation to the
Prime Minister of India to induce industries for commercialisation of hydrogen devices like two, three-wheelers and cookers developed at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Hydrogen Energy Centre and at other places in the country. He said he would also recommend that Varanasi should be declared as the Hydrogen City where hydrogen will get introduced in a phased manner, replacing fossil fuel- petroleum.
Prof Veziroglu was in the city to attend a two-day symposium on 'Hydrogen Energy and Climate Change' at the Hydrogen Energy Centre of BHU on Sunday. In his inaugural lecture on 'Hydrogen Energy System: Ultimate Solution to Climate Change', he said hydrogen energy research and development efforts at several universities and institutes of India, including BHU, were in the advanced stage. Pre-commercial models of hydrogen devices like two and three wheelers, home cookers had already been made. "India is already feeling the heat of climate change effects by way of change in weather pattern, very low intensity rain and submerging of low lying area like Bombay in rain water almost every year," he said.
He further stated it was an opportune time for the Government of India to support mission mode research projects at universities and institutes and at the same time induce industries by providing tax rebates and subsides to come forward and manufacture the hydrogen energy devices already developed by Indian universities and institutes. He said produced from water, hydrogen burnt back to water after use in vehicles or turbine. Thus, it was most climate friendly and formed the ultimate solution to climate change. Prof Veziroglu also took a ride on the campus on hydrogen-fuelled three-wheeler developed by BHU centre.
Delivering his presidential speech, BHU vice-chancellor Prof DP Singh said global warming and climate changes were no longer a matter of conjecture. "They are real and are causing a loss of about 22 per cent of World GDP," he said.
Convener Prof ON Srivastava, also the principal investigator and coordinator of Hydrogen Energy Centre, said climate change effects would produce detrimental efforts like droughts, flooding, change in weather pattern, loss of agriculture, first in warm countries like India. "Cold countries like US, Russia, Europe, in the initial years of global warming and climate change, will be benefited from increased agriculture production, lower energy requirement for space (building) heating, increased tourism," he explained.
Prof Madhulika Agarwal of botany department also spoke on various aspects of climate change. The function was also addressed by Prof Sasikala of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Prof Laxminarasu of Jawaharlal Technical University, Hyderabad, Prof SP Singh, Prof RS Tiwari and others. During concluding session, Prof ON Srivastava summarised the proceedings of the symposium. It was unanimously decided to establish National Association of Hydrogen Energy of India with its head office at BHU.
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