India coal gasification scheme: energy security vs carbon emissions trade-off

India has approved a 375 billion rupee incentive scheme for surface coal and lignite gasification projects. The policy aims to convert domestic coal into syngas for producing ammonia, urea, methanol, and synthetic natural gas, reducing import dependence. The scheme targets gasification of about 75 million tonnes of coal by 2030 and could replace roughly 14-15 billion dollars in annual imports. The trade-off is significant on emissions. Producing hydrogen from coal generates roughly twice the CO2 compared to natural gas. The article estimates that switching from current import-based supply chains to coal-to-syngas could increase annual CO2 emissions from around 47-52 million tonnes to 106-111 million tonnes. This puts the scheme at odds with India's emission reduction plans. The piece does not detail how the government plans to manage the additional carbon output. Carbon capture or offset mechanisms are not discussed. Readers looking for the emissions management strategy will need to look elsewhere.