Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy stated on Thursday that coal gasification is crucial for India’s energy security in the long run and has the potential to significantly reduce the country’s reliance on foreign suppliers. During a roadshow in Mumbai, Reddy discussed the Centre’s plan to encourage gasification of surface coal and lignite. He claimed that by investing in gasification, India could produce a variety of goods, including syngas, methanol, hydrogen, ethanol, urea, and sustainable aviation fuel, among others.
He pointed out that many of these are currently imported in big quantities and that gasifying their production at home would result in significant savings in foreign currency, less reliance on imports, and new industrial value chains including fertilisers, steel, chemicals, transportation, and clean energy.
Participants at the roadshow included senior ministry officials, representatives from coal-sector public-sector enterprises, industry leaders, technology providers, investors, and more. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of Maharashtra, Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey, and Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt were also present.
According to Reddy, India has the opportunity to transform its industrial foundation by tapping into its vast coal reserves, which are the fifth-largest in the world and surpass 400 billion tonnes.
He made the following points:(1) India is the world’s second-largest user and producer of coal;(2) the largest coal-producing firm is Coal India Limited; and(3) the Gevra mine in Chhattisgarh is among the world’s largest coal mines.
The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2070 through cleaner and more effective utilisation of indigenous coal resources, noting that coal represents for 70% of the country’s electricity demand and roughly 55% of its entire energy mix.
According to Reddy, the government has set the lofty target of gasifying 100 million tonnes of coal by 2030 as part of the National Coal Gasification Mission. He expressed his certainty that the incentive program will attract massive investment, hasten the adoption of new technologies, and establish India as a world leader in coal gasification.
Additionally, he mentioned that the draft Request for Proposal (RFP) has been made available so that interested parties can provide input to help strengthen the implementation plan.
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