India seeks S Africa's help in coal tech, buying assets

India today sought South Africa's cooperation for acquiring coal assets there, besides seeking its help in developing clean coal technologies.

"Coal India is interested in acquiring coal properties in South Africa and both the countries can go for joint ventures in this area. The South African government was very positive on that," Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal told PTI from Johannesburg, where he met South African Energy Minister Susan Shabangu today.

The Coal Minister, along with a high level delegation comprising of Coal Secretary C Balakrishnan and Coal India Chairman Partha Bhattacharya among others, is currently on a 4-day visit to South Africa and Mozambique.

Jaiswal added that the cooperation with the South African government is aimed at bridging the growing domestic demand-supply gap.

"Our requirement is increasing continuously and this year, (the demand-supply) gap will be around 83 million tonnes. So we need to acquire more coal blocks abroad," Jaiswal said.

South African Energy Minister Shabangu assured that her government would support Indian companies that may have interests in the South African Coal sector, an official statement said.

On his talks with the South African government, Jaiswal said that he sought their cooperation on 'coal to oil' technology, which is very much in use in the African nation.

"India is committed to introduce clean coal technology in view of increasing environmental concerns and South Africa being the owner of oldest and largest 'Coal to Oil' plant could assist India to transfer the technology in other mining projects also," he said.

As per an official statement, India also sought cooperation for technologies on underground coal gasification and coal beneficiation besides modern technology for underground coal mining from South Africa.

The coal to liquid technology is currently being applied in two domestic coal blocks of 1.5 million capacity, the statement added.