Lok Sabha Question No. 2768 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-20
Subject: Clean Coal Technology
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Bharatiben Dhirubhai Shyal, Rajendra Dhedya  Gavit, Ravi Kishan Shukla, Shankar Lalwani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 2768 ANSWERED ON 20.12.2023

## Clean Coal Technology

2768.   DR. BHARATIBEN DHIRUBHAI SHIYAL: SHRI RAJENDRA DHEDYA GAVIT: SHRI RAVI KISHAN: SHRI SHANKAR LALWANI:

Will the Minister of Coal be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps taken by the Government to promote the use of clean coal technologies, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the estimate potential of India's clean coal reserves; and
- (c) the details of the potential of coal bed methane in the Country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, COAL AND MINES (SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

(a): The  Government  has  taken  the  following  steps  to  promote  the  use  of  clean  coal technologies:

- (i)    For promoting Surface Coal gasification (SCG) in the country, a provision has been made for 50% rebate in revenue share for all future commercial coal block auctions for the coal used in gasification purpose provided the coal quantity used for gasification is at least 10% of total coal  production.  Further,  separate  auction  window  under  NRS  sector  has  been  created  for making coal available for new coal gasification plants. Several coal gasification projects have been taken up. Talcher Fertilizer Ltd is setting up of an integrated coal gasification based urea plant  to  produce  1.27  Million  Metric  Tonnes  Per  Annum  (MMTPA)  neem-coated  Urea. Currently, the project is under construction stage. Pre-feasibility reports have been prepared to set up Coal Gasification projects in Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), Mahanadi Coalfields Limited MCL) and NLC India Limited (NLCIL). For NLCIL project, tenders have been floated for selection of agency for construction and operation of plant.
- (ii)   Government of India has notified Under Ground Gasification (UCG) Policy in September, 2016 to enable the development of UCG so as to maximize the utilization of difficult to mine coal and lignite resources and promote Clean Coal Technologies.
- (iii)   Government of India had formulated a Coal Bed Methane ( CBM) policy in 1997 for the development of CBM. As per the policy, the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG) became the Administrative Ministry and Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) was made the nodal agency for the development of CBM in the country. MoPNG in consultation with the Ministry of Coal (MoC) has identified and offered CBM Blocks from coal-bearing

areas. In partial modification of Coal Bed Methane (CBM) policy 1997, in 2018 GoI granted the exploration  and  exploitation  rights  of  CBM to  Coal  India  Limited  (CIL)  and  its subsidiaries from coal bearing areas for which they possess mining lease for coal.

- (iv)   Government is also promoting for beneficiation of coking coal  in the country by setting up of coal washeries.
- (b): There is no specific concept to estimate Clean Coal Reserve. However, as on 01.04.2023, the total coal resource in the county is 3,78,207.28 Mt.
- (c): MoPNG launched CBM bidding rounds I to IV (2001, 2003, 2005 & 2008), out of which 8 Blocks are under operation and in the Production/Development phase. Total area of these 8 blocks  is  2430  sq.  km.  In  2021,  GOI  launched  Special  CBM  Bid  Round  (SCBM-21)  and awarded 4 CBM Blocks covering an area of around 3860 sq. Km. At present, 12 CBM Blocks are active , 5 of which are in the production phase, 3 in the development phase and 4 blocks (awarded during SCBM-21) are under the exploration phase. The total prognosticated CBM resource of these 12 active CBM Blocks is about 480 BCM of which 6.13 BCM CBM has been produced up to Oct-2023. The projection of CBM production from 12 active CBM Blocks up to FY 2024-25 is given below:

|         | MMSCM   |
|---------|---------|
| 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
| 844     | 1133    |

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