News: The Ministry of Coal has signed the Coal Gasification Plant Development and Production Agreement (CGPDPA) with selected applicants under Category II of the Coal Gasification Financial Incentive Scheme. These include Jindal Steel and Power Limited, New Era Cleantech Solution Private Limited, and Greta Energy and Metal Private Limited. Coal Gasification Financial Incentive Scheme.
About Coal Gasification
• Coal gasification is a thermo-chemical process that converts coal into synthesis gas (syngas), mainly composed of CO, H₂, CO₂, CH₄, and H₂O.
• The process involves high-temperature reactions of coal with limited oxygen and steam.
Process of Coal Gasification
- Preparation: Coal is crushed to increase its surface area.
- Gasification Reactor: Crushed coal is fed into a high-temperature vessel with steam and limited oxygen.
- Chemical Reactions: Partial oxidation breaks coal into syngas.
- Gas Cleaning: Tar, sulfur, and dust are removed from the raw gas.
Coal Gasification Financial Incentive Scheme (FIS)
- Launch Date: January 24, 2024
- Outlay: ₹8,500 crore
- Target: 100 million tonnes of coal gasification by 2030
- Objective: Promote public and private sector participation in coal gasification projects
Significance of Coal Gasification
- Cleaner Energy: Produces syngas, which is cleaner and easier to transport.
- Industrial Uses: Syngas is used for producing methanol, ammonia, ethanol, hydrogen, olefins, and power.
- Economic Value: Reduces oil and gas imports, utilises 378.21 billion tonnes of domestic coal reserves (2023 inventory).
- Strategic Role: Supports India’s clean coal transition and energy security goals.
About the National Coal Gasification Mission
- Goal: Achieve 100 MT coal gasification by 2030
- Phases: Phase I: Pilot projects; Phase II: Upscaling through Coal India Limited; Phase III: Full-scale gasification after tech improvements
