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MUMBAI (PTI): Hydrogen Cell Technology will be a viable option for defence purpose in five years, a top Defence Research and Development Organisation official said.

"It will be possible to use hydrogen cell technology for on-board and off-board requirements in guns and other defence systems besides electricity requirements of the defence infrastructure," Dr V K Saraswat, Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister and DG, DRDO told reporters here.

While the cost of generation of electricity using hydrogen cell is around USD 3,000 per kilo watt, the cost using traditional fuels is just USD 30 per kilo watt," said Saraswat on the sidelines of International Symposium on Fuel Cell Technologies: Fucetech 2009.

However, the DRDO chief said the cost can be brought down by one tenth, when the production of electricity using hydrogen cell takes place at a mass level. Also, the role of Research & Development must be used to reduce the cost of electricity using hydrogen cell.

Dr K Kasturirangan, Member of Planning Commission, suggested the public-private partnership between the government research institutions and industry to help bring the technology to the market.

Nearly 250 participants including 20 foreign delegates are participating in the three-day event held at Nehru Centre at Worli here. They will deliberate on issues related to fuel cell-based electricity generation in keeping with concerns of global warming and climate change.

The Indian Navy, through Navy Material Research Laboratory (NMRL), has been actively participating in the Fuel Cell project. It has included the technology in its 20-year strategic technical roadmap, where it will be looking at its use for warships and submarines.