Context:
The union Coal minister stated that coal gasification can help India substitute imports worth up to ₹3 lakh crore by producing chemicals, fertilisers and hydrogen domestically. The government has also approved a ₹37,500-crore scheme to promote surface coal and lignite gasification projects.
- Coal gasification is developed to convert coal into a cleaner and more useful gaseous fuel, instead of directly burning coal in a highly polluting manner. In this process, coal reacts with controlled oxygen/steam to produce syngas.
- The main objective is to produce syngas, which can be further used to make methanol, ammonia, urea, hydrogen, synthetic natural gas, chemicals and liquid fuels.
- Syngas mainly consists of hydrogen and carbon-based gases, especially hydrogen (H₂), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂) and sometimes methane (CH₄).
- It helps India use its large domestic coal reserves more productively, especially when India depends heavily on imports for LNG, ammonia, methanol and fertiliser-related inputs.
- Advantages include lower direct pollution than conventional coal burning, better utilisation of low-grade coal, production of multiple industrial products, and support for energy security.
- It also supports import substitution, because coal-derived syngas can reduce dependence on imported natural gas, methanol, ammonia and urea-related inputs.
- India’s major goal is to gasify 100 million tonnes of coal by 2030 under the National Coal Gasification Mission.
- India is promoting coal gasification to strengthen energy security, support fertiliser and chemical industries, reduce import bills, and create a transition pathway where domestic coal is used in a cleaner and more value-added manner.
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