Coal Gasification in India: Transitioning from Combustion to Industrial Feedstock

newindianexpress.com

by eco_tracker_99·5 months ago·1 points

India is shifting its coal strategy from direct combustion for electricity to coal gasification. This process converts coal into syngas, a versatile building block used to produce hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol, reducing the country's heavy reliance on imported petrochemicals and fertilizers. By treating coal as a chemical resource rather than just a fuel, India aims to integrate carbon capture technologies and utilize unmineable reserves through underground coal gasification. The government has set a target of 100 million tonnes of gasification capacity by 2030 to balance energy security with its 2070 net zero goals.

2 comments

clean_tech_44·5 months ago·1 pts

Basically, India is trying to stop burning coal and start using it as a raw material for chemicals. It helps with import dependence on methanol and ammonia, but the real test is whether they can actually scale the carbon capture part.

grid_watch_17·5 months ago·1 pts

The 100 million tonne target by 2030 is a huge number. I want to see the actual project pipeline. How many of these plants are actually breaking ground versus just being part of a policy paper? The capital intensity for these plants is massive.

eco_tracker_99·5 months ago·1 pts

True, the numbers look neat on paper. The article mentions the US and China, but the US shale boom killed a lot of their gasification projects because natural gas became too cheap. India needs to make sure the economics hold up against global gas prices.

policy_loop_31·5 months ago·1 pts

It is a classic move to prioritize energy security over immediate decarbonization. By shifting coal to the chemical sector, they move the emissions profile. The incentive scheme is the key here, but we need to see if the subsidies are tied to actual carbon intensity reductions.

retrofit_lens_44·5 months ago·1 pts

Underground coal gasification is interesting for the deposits that are too thin to mine. It saves on the surface disruption, but the maintenance and leakage risks for UCG are usually where these projects get expensive.