India aims to achieve 100 MT coal gasification target by 2030: Pralhad Joshi

• Coal Gasification and Liquefaction is no more an aspiration, but a requirement, said Joshi

• CIL has planned to set up at least three gasification plants (besides Dankuni) on BOO basis through global tendering, said the minister

New Delhi: Union Minister of Coal Pralhad Joshi has said that India aims to achieve 100 million tonnes (MT) coal gasification by 2030, with investments worth over Rs 4 lakh crore. Joshi was addressing a webinar on Monday in New Delhi on coal gasification and liquefaction, organised by the Ministry of Coal (MoC) for discussing the road map for achieving the target.

"Coal Gasification and Liquefaction is no more an aspiration, but a requirement. For encouraging use of clean sources of fuel, the government has provided for a concession of 20 percent on revenue share of coal used for gasification. This will boost production of synthetic natural gas, energy fuel, urea for fertilisers and production of other chemicals," Joshi said.

Niti Aayog's Dr VK Saraswat heading committee on coal gasification

Reiterating the government's commitments for green initiatives in the coal sector, Joshi said that coal gasification and liquefaction are well in the government's agenda and various actions have been taken for the development of surface coal gasification in India. A steering committee has been constituted in this regard under the chairmanship of Dr VK Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog, comprising of members from the Ministry of Coal. CIL has also planned to set up at least three gasification plants (besides Dankuni) on BOO basis through global tendering and has signed an MOU with GAIL for marketing synthetic natural gas.

Also read: Pralhad Joshi asks Talcher Fertilizers to expedite coal gasification project

Joshi urged the attendees of the session to explore more about technologies and other aspects in the coal gasification sector, in line with the country's SWOT analysis. "This will help us harness the nation's reserves for maximum utilisation while heading on the path to sustainability, as per global standards," said the minister.

The backdrop

The government has placed a lot of thrust on the use of domestic coal through gasification process to produce chemicals like methanol and fertilisers like urea for industrial purposes. Coal gasification is the process of producing syngas, a mixture consisting carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), natural gas (CH4), and water vapour (H2O). During gasification, coal is blown with oxygen and steam while also being heated under high pressure. During the reaction, oxygen and water molecules oxidize the coal and produce syngas. In this regard, the government has also set the ball rolling on its plan to restart Talcher Fertilizers Ltd, which would be the first-of-its-kind project in the country to use coal gasification for production of urea.

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