Context: The Ministry of Coal has initiated India’s first pilot project for Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) in Jharkhand, aiming to revolutionize the coal industry.
What is Coal Gasification?
Coal gasification is a process that converts underground coal into valuable gases such as methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. This is achieved by partially oxidizing coal using air, oxygen, steam, or CO2 under controlled conditions to produce syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Syngas can be used for power generation and making methanol.
Government Initiatives:
India has initiated the National Coal Gasification Mission, aiming for 100 million tons of coal gasification by 2030, allowed 100% FDI in coal mining, and implemented the Viability Gap Funding scheme for promoting coal and lignite gasification projects.
Source: PIB
