80 lakh tonnes of waste reused, green hydrogen key to energy goals: Gadkari

Nitin Gadkari mentioned that the transport sector accounts for about 40 per cent of India's air pollution and outlined various initiatives to address the issue

India’s Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday (December 13) highlighted the potential of waste as a valuable resource, particularly for road construction and energy generation. Speaking at the Green Bharat Summit held in New Delhi, he said, “People will fight over kachra in future.”

 

The Union minister also mentioned innovative projects, such as the Dolaro-Ahmedabad highway, while emphasising the need to utilise waste for infrastructure development in his speech, according to a Moneycontrol report.

 

The challenge of waste management is intensifying, particularly in urban centers, as rising consumption and an expanding middle class drive up waste generation. The issue is particularly acute when it comes to managing plastic, electronic waste, and packaging materials, a problem further compounded by the rapid growth of e-commerce.

   

The ministry is exploring creative ways to integrate waste materials into road construction, which could help reduce India's dependence on imported bitumen. “Use of waste material can help reduce Bitumen import into India,” Gadkari mentioned.

 

Discussing waste as a resource for energy, he said, “Plastic is being used to make industrial diesel as well in India… My aim is to create value from waste in India.”

 

Optimism about green fossil fuel 

The minister also expressed optimism about green fuels, predicting a rise in ethanol, methanol, and other green fossil fuel vehicles in the coming years. He noted that automobile companies are planning to introduce flex-engine vehicles soon.

 

Gadkari identified green hydrogen as a transformative fuel to mitigate pollution in the transport sector. “Green Hydrogen is the next big measure to curb pollution,” the report quoted the Union Minister as saying. Green hydrogen, produced through the electrolysis of water powered by renewable energy, is considered key to a sustainable energy transition.

 

Air pollution increased due to vehicles 

The minister highlighted that the transport sector accounts for about 40 per cent of India's air pollution and outlined various initiatives to address the issue, such as electric buses, CNG and electric scooters, and flex-engine vehicles. “This [air pollution] is happening in a natural process ... transport industry is responsible for 40 per cent of the air pollution ... electric buses, CNG cars, CNG scooters, electric scooters, flex engine initiatives will help us realise the Green Bharat dream. Solar power now makes up 40 per cent of the total power basket,” he said.

 

He reiterated India’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2070 and stressed the importance of hydrogen fuel in achieving self-reliance in the energy sector. He pointed out that reducing the cost of green hydrogen is critical, targeting a drop from the current Rs 300 per kilogram to $1 (approximately Rs 83 at the current exchange rate). “Green Hydrogen is the futuristic fuel ... by using biotechnology, we will increase the productivity of biomass. We will create green hydrogen by municipal waste and biomass. This will make us atmanirbhar (self-reliant),” he added.

 

Gadkari also mentioned alternative approaches to producing green hydrogen beyond electrolysis, citing research by IISc Bengaluru. According to him, the institute has successfully reduced the cost to Rs 150 per kilogram using biomass.