Govt removes green clearance for pilot projects on coal gasification

The government on Wednesday said the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has agreed to do away with the green clearance for pilot projects for underground coal gasification.

The development assumes significance as government targets to gasify 100 million tonnes of coal by 2030.

"Any underground coal gasification (UCG) project before it actually takes off means to have a pilot study done. Since it's a new technology or it will be done for the first time in the country, a pilot phase is necessary.

"It is part of the framework and for that pilot phase MoEFCC has kind of agreed to not have an EC (environment clearance) for the pilot phase only," Coal Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of the 14th round of commercial coal mine auctions.

He further said of the 41 coal blocks that are being put out for sale, 21 are suitable for UCG because generally they are deep seated and are uneconomical to extract.

UCG gasifies deep, unmineable coal seams in-situ using oxidants such as air, oxygen or steam. Hydrogen from UCG can power clean fuel and hydrogen economy initiatives, while syngas and value-added products can be generated through partial oxidation of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

The secretary further said the coal ministry is moving with pace with regard to the coal trading exchange.

The ministry also launched two digital platforms i.e the CLAMP and Koyla Shakti portals during the event.

The Coal Land Acquisition, Management and Payment Portal is a unified digital platform developed to streamline and digitise processes related to land acquisition, compensation, and rehabilitation & resettlement in the coal sector.

The Koyla Shakti Dashboard is a digital platform designed to revolutionise the coal sector through enhanced transparency, efficiency, and real-time coordination.