NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary by National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) has invited Global Expression of Interest (EoI) From Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Bus and Car Manufacturers for Supply of Fuel Cell Electric (FCEV) Buses and Cars in India, to provide 10 Hydrogen Fuel Cell (FC) based electric buses and an equal number of Hydrogen Fuel Cell-based electric cars.

The opening date of the bid is 15-May-2020 at 05:00 PM and the last date of bid submission is 15-May-2020 at 03:00. The last date regarding clarification against this bid is 08-May-2020 at 03:00 PM. The last date of bid submission is 15-May-2020 at 03:00 PM. The period of work is 180 days. The bid will be based on the Single Stage Single Envelope process. The bid will be valid for 180 days. The location for this project is Leh and New Delhi.

NTPC claims that “The move to procure Hydrogen Fuel Cell-based vehicles is the first of its kind project in the country, wherein a complete solution from green energy to the fuel cell vehicle would be developed”. The move to launch hydrogen-powered vehicles aims at decarbonizing the mobility segment.

The initiative has been undertaken with the support of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, which will harness renewable energy for the generation of hydrogen and develop it’s storage and dispensation facilities as part of pilot projects at Leh and Delhi. 

Recently, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVN) has invited bids on a limited tender bidding basis, for the operation of 90 nos. Electric buses for 10 years in Bengaluru. Earnest Money Deposit(EMD) of Rs 20 lakh should be submitted by bidders along with their bids. The last date for bid submission was 16-03-2020 at 05:00 PM, and the tender bids were opened on March 17, 2020, at 12:00 PM. The validity of bids is for 180 days and the period of work is 3650 days.

In November 2019, NTPC was working strongly on electric vehicle charging infrastructure. NTPC has previously mentioned that it has signed pacts with cab aggregates Ola, Lithium, Shuttl, Bikxie, Bounce, Electric, and Zoom Car for the creation of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. The collaboration with these aggregators will lead to the development of charging infrastructure for various vehicle segments as well as effective utilization of public charging infrastructure, NTPC had said.

NTPC has been taking various technology initiatives to provide complete e-mobility solutions for public transport including the creation of public charging infrastructure and providing electric buses to State/City Transport Undertakings. 90 public charging stations in various cities and battery charging and swapping stations at Faridabad for e-3-wheelers have already been commissioned by NVVN. Similarly, the e-Bus solution for Andaman & Nicobar Administration is under implementation.