Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday told Parliament that underground coal gasification technology is not proven environmentally sustainable and commercially across the world and it is not under consideration for adoption in India. “Underground Coal Gasification is not a proven environmentally sustainable technology. Resultantly, Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) technology is not proven commercially across world.
The pilot project at Australia was dropped due to economic and environmental concerns. “As such UCG is not under consideration for adoption in India,” the minister said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. Gasification of coal is a process in which coal is partially oxidated by air, oxygen, steam or carbon dioxide under controlled conditions to produce a fuel gas.
The government has prepared a plan to achieve coal gasification and liquefaction of 100 million tonnes (MT) of coal by 2030, Joshi said in the written reply. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech 2022-23 announced setting up of four pilot projects for coal gasification. Joshi on Tuesday said that four projects for conversion of coal to clean energy with private sector capital investment of Rs 30,130 crore will help in achieving the target of 100 MT coal gasification by 2030.
