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Coal, oil and gas
Coal, oil and gas: mining and imports, conversion such as coal gasification, thermal power, exploration, refining, strategic reserves, and the gas grid and its pricing. Prelims has asked what coal gasification can produce.
8 Sep 2026 · Prelims and Mains
Coal gasification
Coal gasification is thermochemical and not biochemical: no microbe is involved, only heat, pressure and a controlled shortage of oxygen. The scheme India is funding does this in a reactor above ground, not in the seam where the coal lies.
Coal or lignite
Domestic coal or lignite as feedstock
Surface gasification
Partial oxidation with oxygen and steam at high temperature and pressure
Syngas
Mainly carbon monoxide and hydrogen
Products
Synthetic natural gas, methanol, ammonia and urea, hydrogen, direct reduced iron
- Gasification is not low carbon, though the carbon dioxide it makes comes out concentrated and so is easier to capture than flue gas.
UPSC has asked
- Prelims 2025: what coal gasification technology can produce
8 Sep 2026 · Prelims and Mains
Scheme for Promotion of Surface Coal/Lignite Gasification Projects
Applications for the first round closed in September 2026 with seven takers, from the public and private sectors both, the state owned power producer NTPC among them. The Ministry of Coal named them days after rejecting a claim that the scheme had found nobody.
₹37,500 croreOutlay, approved by the Cabinet in May 2026
100 MT by 2030National Coal Gasification Mission target, in million tonnes, with 75 MT under this scheme
- It aims at import substitution of liquefied natural gas (LNG), urea, ammonia and methanol.
PIB, 8 Sep 2026: Round 1 of Scheme for Promotion of Surface Coal/Lignite Gasification Projects Concludes with Overwhelming Response Receiving Seven Applications from Leading Public and Private Sector Companies (opens in a new tab) · The Hindu, 5 Sep 2026: Coal Ministry rejects 'No Takers' claim, says TFL, NTPC apply for gasification scheme (opens in a new tab)