Coal gasification gets industry push as India seeks to cut import dependence
By Nibedita Mohapatra
Bhubaneswar, Aug. 13: Coal gasification is gaining momentum as India looks to convert its abundant domestic coal reserves into strategic fuels, chemicals and industrial feedstock and reduce dependence on imports, with industry leaders calling for faster adoption of the technology and stronger policy support.
The Coal Gasifiers Association of India (CGAI), the industry body representing the sector, recently hosted an international conference in Bhubaneswar on “Challenges, Opportunities and New Technologies in Coal Gasification”, bringing together policymakers, technology experts and senior executives from the coal, energy and steel industries.
More than 25 experts presented technical papers at the conference, with a major focus on technologies suited to India’s high-ash coal and on building domestic manufacturing capabilities for chemicals and other products that are currently dependent on imports.
Senior executives from Coal India, Mahanadi Coalfields, South Eastern Coalfields, GAIL, NTPC and Jindal Steel took part in the deliberations. International experts from Canada and a delegation from Sri Lanka also attended the conference.
The discussions came at a time when the Centre is promoting coal gasification and extending financial support through the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme. Industry leaders said wider deployment of the technology could unlock new value chains around domestic coal while strengthening the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat push.
The conference also included a field visit to Jindal Steel’s Angul complex, giving delegates a first-hand view of one of the country’s prominent applications of coal gasification in steelmaking.
The Angul facility has a coal-gasification-based direct reduced iron (CGP-DRI) plant, where synthesis gas produced through coal gasification is used in the DRI process. Delegates also visited the company’s steelmaking facilities, including its large blast furnace, and reviewed technologies being deployed as part of the plant’s expansion.
Sanjay Singh, advisor to Jindal Steel and president of CGAI; Dr A.K. Balyan, general secretary; and Kapil Dhagat, vice-president and coal gasification expert, were among those present. R.K. Singhal, director, business development, GAIL, also attended the conference.
Former Odisha chief secretary Asit Tripathy was the chief guest.
CGAI said the conference was aimed at strengthening collaboration among industry, technology providers and policymakers to accelerate the adoption of coal gasification and develop domestic capabilities in clean-coal technologies, energy and industrial feedstock.
Caption: Industry leaders, policymakers and experts at the 3rd CGAI International Conference on Coal Gasification in Bhubaneswar, organised by the Coal Gasifiers Association of India to explore new technologies and opportunities in coal gasification.
