India's first coal gasification pilot project launched in Jharkhand

The government of India-owned Coal India Limited subsidiary company, Eastern Coalfields Limited, has launched a pilot project for in situ underground coal gasification at the Kasta coal block in Jamtara District, Jharkhand. The coal will not be removed from the mine, and the coal gasification process will take place within the mine.

If the project is successful, it will create transformative opportunities for India's energy sector, showcasing the sustainable and efficient use of the country's coal resources.

About the underground coal gasification Pilot project 

The Union Ministry of Coal approved an underground coal gasification policy for the country's coal and lignite-bearing areas in 2015. 

• Kasta coal block was chosen as a pilot project area. 
• The project is funded by the Coal India Limited Research and Development Board.
• Eastern Coalfields Limited is implementing the project in association with Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI) Ranchi and the Canadian company Ergo Exergy Technologies Inc.
• The pilot project, which was started on 22 June 2024, will be implemented in two phases over a two-year period. 

Aim of the Coal gasification Project 

• The project aims to prove that underground gasification at the coal-bearing site is economically viable.
• It will convert coal into valuable gasses like methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. 
• These gasses will be used to produce synthetic natural gas, chemical feedstocks for fuels, fertilisers, explosives, and other industrial applications. 
• To make India a leader in the underground coal gasification field.

About Eastern Coalfield Limited 

• Eastern Coal Limited is a subsidiary of Coal India Limited. It is active in West Bengal and Jharkhand.
• It operates in Raniganj Coalfield in the Districts of Paschim Bardhaman, Purulia and Bankura of West Bengal.
• It operates  Saharjuri coalfields and Rajmahal coalfields in districts of Dhanbad, Deoghar and Godda of Jharkhand state.
• The history of the Eastern Coalfield can be traced to the start of coal mining in the Raniganj coalfields by the Britishers in  1774.

Headquarters:  Sanctoria, Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal.

Chairman cum Managing Director: Samiran Dutta