Coal India to set up new ₹5,800-cr coal gasification project in West Bengal

The State-run Coal India (CIL) is planning to set up a coal-gasification project with an estimated investment of ₹5,800 crore in the Dankuni coal complex in West Bengal.

Tenders for the project are likely to be floated in the September, and it is expected to be completed by January, 2025.

The project, which is now in the planning stage, will convert 1.5 million tonne (MT) of the fuel into other products and reduce emissions.Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that ₹20,000 crore will be invested in coal gasification projects by 2030 for eco-friendly utilisation of the fuel, which is abundantly available in the country. With the usage of this technology, coal can be gasified to turn it into a clean syngas or synthesis gas. It is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide which constitutes the basic building blocks of the chemical industry and can be converted into a wide range of downstream products.