Coal Ministry Holds Roadshow on Surface Coal Gasification Projects in Delhi

New Delhi, May 29 (KNN) The Ministry of Coal organised a roadshow in New Delhi on the Scheme for Promotion of Surface Coal/Lignite Gasification Projects, with discussions focused on policy support, investment opportunities and the expansion of coal gasification infrastructure in the country.

The event was attended by Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey, Coal Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt, Additional Secretary Sanoj Kumar Jha, along with state government representatives, industry participants, financial institutions and technology providers.

Addressing the event, Reddy said the government has launched an Rs 8,500 crore incentive scheme for coal gasification projects and recently approved an additional Rs 37,500 crore financial support package to accelerate the sector’s development.

According to the ministry, the initiatives are expected to attract investments of nearly Rs 2.5 lakh crore and support projects in sectors such as fertilizers, methanol, hydrogen and petrochemicals.

Reddy said coal gasification could help reduce India’s dependence on imports of methanol, ammonia, fertilizers and other chemicals, while strengthening domestic industrial capacity and energy security.

He also referred to global economic and geopolitical developments, including instability in West Asia and changing supply chain dynamics, as factors increasing the importance of building domestic industrial resilience.

MoS Dubey said the Rs 37,500 crore scheme would promote cleaner utilisation of domestic coal resources and help reduce import dependence on products including LNG, methanol, ammonia, urea, ammonium nitrate and coking coal.

He added that the initiative could support industrial development and employment generation, particularly in coal-bearing regions.

In his address, Coal secretary Dutt said the coal gasification scheme approved by the Union Cabinet is expected to mobilise investments of Rs 2.5 lakh crore to Rs 3 lakh crore and generate around 50,000 direct and indirect jobs through nearly 25 gasification projects.

He said the technology could support production of synthetic natural gas, urea, methanol, ammonia, hydrogen and direct reduced iron (DRI) for steel manufacturing.

Dutt also stated that the scheme has been designed with a technology-agnostic framework to provide flexibility for project developers while incorporating milestone-based monitoring and implementation mechanisms.

Referring to global energy and commodity supply chain disruptions, he said strengthening domestic capabilities in sectors such as energy, chemicals, fertilizers and steel had become increasingly important.

The roadshow also included an interaction and question-and-answer session with industry representatives and investors on issues related to project viability, policy incentives, technology readiness and implementation models for coal and lignite gasification projects.

The Ministry of Coal said the initiative is part of broader efforts to promote cleaner and more efficient utilisation of domestic coal resources while supporting the goals of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat.

(KNN Bureau)