The Government has taken the following steps to promote the usage of clean coal technologies:
(i) Policy initiatives to support coal gasification projects:
- In commercial coal block auction, there is a provision for 50% rebate in revenue share for the coal used towards gasification purposes.
- Creation of sub-sector under Non-Regulated Sector (NRS) linkage auction to enable supply of coal to Coal Gasification projects.
(ii) Incentive Scheme for Promotion of coal gasification: For promoting Coal gasification in the country, the Government has approved ₹8500 crore incentive scheme to provide Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to promote Coal/Lignite Gasification Projects for both PSUs and the private sectors.
(iii) Government of India has notified Underground Coal 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.
- Government of India (GoI) had formulated Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Policy in 1997 for development of CBM. As per the policy, Ministry of Petroleum & natural Gas (MoPNG) became the administrative Ministry and Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) was made the nodal agency for development of CBM in the country. MoPNG in consultation with Ministry of Coal (MoC) has identified and offered CBM blocks from coal bearing areas. In partial modification of CBM Policy, 1997, vide notification dated 8th May’ 2018, Government of India granted the exploration and exploitation rights of CBM to Coal India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries in coal bearing areas for which they possess coal mining rights.
(v) Government is also promoting beneficiation of coking coal in the country by setting up of coal washeries.
There is no specific concept to estimate Clean Coal Reserve. However, as on 01.04.2024, the total estimated coal resource in the county is 3,89,421.34 million tonnes.
Details of coal bed methane potential in the country are as under –
- As per DGH, the estimated CBM resources of India as on 31.03.2024 is 2,600 Billion Cubic Meter (BCM).
- At present total 15 CBM Blocks are active. Out of these 15 Blocks, 6 CBM Blocks are in production stage, 2 CBM Blocks are in development stage and 7 CBM Blocks are in exploration stage covering an area of about 7009 sq.km.
- MoPNG/DGH has still 5100 Sq.km of coal bearing area for which CBM prospectivity examination is to be carried out.
- In CIL subsidiaries leasehold, one CBM Block under Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) leasehold area, i.e. Jharia CBM Block-I has been awarded to CBM developer. The block is under exploration stage.
- In addition to above, two more CBM blocks have been delineated for CBM extraction within existing leasehold area of CIL subsidiaries.
