Eden Energy, Ashok Leyland launch hydrogen engine

Indian company Ashok Leyland Ltd. has launched a new Hythane-powered engine in association with Eden Energy Ltd. of Australia. The six-cylinder, six-liter, 92 kilowatt (kW) engine is designed to operate with Hythane, a blend of natural gas and hydrogen, the company said. Ashok Leyland said the addition of hydrogen, a renewable fuel, improves efficiency while retaining the low emission characteristics of compressed natural gas (CNG). The company said the application of these engines to buses is at an advanced stage at Ashok Leyland and it is in discussions with government agencies about making Hythane available for commercial use in the future. More than 5,500 Ashok Leyland CNG buses are in use in India, the company said. (March 27, 2009)