Centre has prepared a National Mission document to achieve 100 MT Coal Gasification.
The Government of India has set a target to increase coal gasification to 100 million tonnes (MT) by 2030, V K Tiwari, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal, said on Friday.
"Coal gasification is the future. It is considered a cleaner option compared to the burning of coal. Gasification facilitates utilization of the chemical properties of coal," Mr Tiwari said while addressing the National Mineral Congress held in Bhubaneswar.
He said the government has prepared a National Mission document to achieve 100 MT Coal Gasification by 2030.
Mr Tiwari said that technological advancements are offering greater coal recovery, flexibility in mining operations, increased productivity, greater safety and lowering cost. "Companies need to adopt new technologies and build digital infrastructure to support the current and future requirements. There is a need to ensure optimal use of technology in the sector," the additional secretary said.
Mr Tiwari talked about the roadmap for coal to hydrogen and said that India's hydrogen demand is likely to increase to 11.7 million tonnes by 2030 from 6.7 million tonnes per year as of now.
"Refineries and fertiliser plants are the largest consumers of hydrogen now, which is being produced from natural gas. It can be produced through coal in the processes during coal gasification," he added.