BPCL Partners with Blu Aerospace, ANERT, and CIAL to Launch World's First Hydrogen-Powered VTOL Aviation Ecosystem.
Banking & Finance
In March 2025, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL), a Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), signed a quadripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Blu Aerospace Private Limited, Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (ANERT), and Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) to establish the world's first hydrogen-fueled Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) aviation ecosystem.
- This initiative is part of India's commitment to achieving Net Zero Emissions (NZE) by 2070 and aims to revolutionize urban and regional air mobility, focusing on environmental sustainability.
- The objective of the MoU is to introduce green hydrogen-powered VTOL aircraft, improving speed, efficiency, and noise reduction, while significantly reducing carbon emissions, contributing to cleaner aviation.
- BPCL will play a key role by establishing Hydrogen Refueling Infrastructure (HRI) for VTOL aircraft, with upcoming Hydrogen Refueling Stations (HRS) in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, to support sustainable aviation and enhance the Hydrogen Valley Program.
Main Point :- (i) BPCL will also engage in Research and Development (R&D) initiatives to develop an Indigenous Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Hydrogen Fuel Cell (HFC) with high power density to enable efficient vertical lift-off for the VTOL aircraft.
(ii) As part of its Net Zero goal by 2040, BPCL plans to invest ₹21 lakh crore and will set up electric vehicle charging stations at approximately 7,000 fuel stations across India in the next five years.
(iii) BPCL, the second-largest Indian Oil Marketing Company (OMC) and a Fortune Global 500 company, will collaborate with ANERT and CIAL in this pioneering initiative, contributing to the country’s clean energy transition and sustainable transportation solutions.
About the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) : Krishnakumar Gopalan
Headquarter : Mumbai
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