Why in news?

Union Coal and Mines Minister promoted surface coal gasification at a roadshow, stating the technology has the potential to substitute imports worth up to ₹3 lakh crore.

The Union Cabinet approved a ₹37,500-crore incentive package to encourage coal gasification — a significant policy push to utilise India's vast coal reserves while reducing import dependence on key industrial chemicals.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• What is Coal Gasification?
• Why Does India Need Coal Gasification?
• India's Targets and Financial Support
• The Technical Challenge — India's High-Ash Coal
• The Indigenisation Challenge and Opportunity

What is Coal Gasification?

• Imagine taking coal — a solid fuel — and converting it into a useful gas. That is essentially what coal gasification does.
• It converts coal into synthetic gas (syngas) — a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide — which can then be used as a raw material to produce a wide range of valuable downstream products.
• What Can Syngas Produce?
  • Urea — critical for fertilisers
  • Ammonia — used in fertilisers and chemicals
  • Methanol — used as fuel and in chemical manufacturing
  • Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) — substitute for natural gas
  • Hydrogen — clean energy fuel
  • Ammonium nitrate, ether, dimethyl ether — various industrial uses

Why Does India Need Coal Gasification?

• India is currently heavily import-dependent for several key industrial chemicals that can be produced domestically through coal gasification:
  • Urea — India imports one-fifth of its requirement.
  • Ammonia — India imports almost its entire requirement.
  • Methanol — India imports approximately 80-90% of its requirement.
• Meanwhile, India sits on vast coal reserves — approximately 401 billion tonnes of coal and about 47 billion tonnes of lignite — making it one of the most coal-rich countries in the world.
• Coal gasification offers a way to leverage these domestic resources to produce chemicals that India currently spends enormous foreign exchange importing — directly improving energy security, reducing the current account deficit, and creating domestic industrial capacity.

India's Targets and Financial Support

• The Ministry of Coal has set a target of gasifying 100 million tonnes of coal by 2030.
• The recently announced scheme aims to support gasification of about 75 million tonnes of coal and/or lignite to reach this target.
• Financial Incentives
  • ₹8,500 crore package — approved in January 2024; of this, ₹6,233 crore disbursed to eight projects.
  • ₹37,500 crore package — recently approved, providing incentives amounting to one-fifth of plant and machinery costs — recognising that capital costs are the single largest cost component in gasification projects.
• Key Projects and Their Timelines
  • Talcher Coal-based Ammonia-Urea Complex — Expected commissioning: FY2027-28.
  • Projects converting coal to syngas, ammonium nitrate, direct reduced iron, ethanol, and hydrogen — Expected commissioning: FY2029-30.
• Key Players
  • Public Sector — Coal India (joint ventures with BHEL and GAIL), Coal India's own project in Western Coalfields.
  • Private Sector — Jindal Steel and Power, Greta Energy and Metal.

The Technical Challenge — India's High-Ash Coal

• This is the most critical and distinctive challenge in India's coal gasification programme — one that sets India apart from all other major coal-gasifying nations.
• Indian coal has very high ash content — along with variability in gross calorific value (GCV) and the presence of complex mineral matter.
• These characteristics make standard gasification technologies used in countries like China, Australia, and the US — where coal quality is significantly better — unsuitable for Indian coal.
• What Technology Suits Indian Coal?
  • Fluidised-bed gasification is considered particularly suitable for high-ash Indian coal.
  • This technology uses a gas stream that lifts the coal out of ash and then gasifies it with heat — allowing it to handle the variability and high ash content that would clog or damage conventional gasifiers.
  • BHEL has specifically developed a pressurised fluidised-bed gasifier technology tailored to handle the high ash content and variability of Indian coal — an important step toward indigenous technological capability.

The Indigenisation Challenge and Opportunity

• Coal gasification projects are by their very nature highly capital-intensive with long gestation periods.
• According to a research, capital costs constitute nearly 30% of total syngas production costs — making financial viability the central challenge.
• BHEL — has developed indigenous pressurised fluidised-bed gasifier technology; its 16 facilities are capable of producing all critical components for gasification.
• Jindal Steel and Greta Energy — have indigenised approximately 80-90% of their production requirements.
• At its maturing stages, coal gasification may still require technology imports — particularly from China, which is the world leader in gasification technology.
  • Industry has sought government consideration of exemptions from DPIIT regulations for acquiring necessary technologies from China.

Conclusion

• India's coal gasification push sits at the intersection of several critical policy priorities — energy security (reducing import dependence), industrial policy (creating domestic chemical manufacturing capacity), agricultural security (domestic urea and fertiliser production), Aatmanirbhar Bharat (indigenising technology), and sustainable mining (better utilisation of coal resources).
• However, the programme faces significant challenges including technical adaptation for high-ash coal, capital intensity, long project gestation periods, and dependence on Chinese technology at scale.

About Banni Grassland:

• Location: It is located along the northern border of Kachchh district in the state of Gujarat.
• The Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary and Chhari Dhand Conservation Reserve are part of the Banni Grasslands.
• It is also home to the ethnic groups, the majority of whom are pastoralists such as the Maldharis, the Rabaris, the Jats, the Mutwas, and the Meghwals.
• It is home to great biological diversity, having many grass species, bird species, and domesticated animals like Buffalo, Sheep, Goat, Horses and Camel, as well as wildlife. 
• Flora: The vegetation here mainly comprises Prosopis Juliflora, Cressa critica, Cyperus spp, Sporobolus, Dichanthium, and Aristida.
• Fauna: It is home to mammals such as the Nilgai, Chinkara, Blackbuck, Wild boar, Golden Jackal, Indian Hare, Indian Wolf, Caracal, Asiatic Wildcat and Desert Fox etc.

About Gamgul Siyabehi Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Location: It is located in Himachal Pradesh.
• It is nestled in the catchment of Siul nala (a tributary of Ravi River).
• It is adjoined at the northern end by the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The famous Kashmir Stag has been reported to be found only in this sanctuary located in Himachal Pradesh.
• Vegetation: Western Mixed Coniferous Forests, Moist temperate deciduous forests, Kharsu Oak forest, Birch/ Rhododendron forests and Alpine pastures.
• Flora: The typical high altitude vegetation found here includes deodar forests, coniferous forests and alpine pastures.
• Fauna: Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus), Ibex (Capra ibex), Himalayan Tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus), Common Leopard (Panthera pardus), Red Fox, Himalayan Tahr, small populations of Musk Deer, and Pheasants. etc.

About Lokayan 26:

• It is a 10-month transoceanic expedition of INS Sudarshini ship.
• It will visit 18 foreign ports across 13 countries.
• During the course of the voyage, Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard trainees will undergo intensive sail training, gaining invaluable experience in long-range ocean navigation and traditional seamanship at sea. 
• It will strengthen India’s maritime cooperation and advancing the vision of MAHASAGAR.

Key Facts about  INS Sudarshini

• It is an indigenously built Sail Training Ship (STS).
• It was built by Goa Shipyard Limited and based at Kochi, Kerala under the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy. 
• It was successfully built and was commissioned on 27 Jan. 2012.
• The aim of using such ships is to make sailors sea-friendly, as they are taught how to survive alone at sea, understand rough weather conditions and train themselves to become good sailors.
• It has a very high endurance and can be deployed at sea continuously for a period of twenty days.

About Nickel:

• It is a silver-white shiny appearing metal with the chemical symbol Ni.
• It is the fifth-most common element on earth and occurs extensively in the earth’s crust and core.
• Occurrence:
  • It is usually found in laterite deposits.
  • It occurs naturally in soil and water. It is also an essential nutrient for plants. 
  • It is also a common element in meteorites.
• Properties:
  • It is high ductility, toughness, and provide strength.
  • Nickel occurs principally as oxides, sulphides and silicates in India.
  • It is highly resistant to corrosion and oxidation.
  • It has high thermal and electrical conductivity.
• India has substantial nickel laterite reserves, particularly in Odisha’s Sukinda region.
• World Distribution: Indonesia (22%), Australia (21%), Brazil (17%), Russia (7%), Cuba (6%) and Philippines (5%) are the major countries having reserves of Nickel.
• Applications of Nickel:
  • Alloying Agent: Its biggest use is in alloying – particularly with chromium and other metals to produce stainless and heat-resisting steels.
  • Electric Vehicles: It is an important metal used in several clean energy technologies, especially Electric Vehicles (EVs).
  • Batteries: It is used in batteries, including rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries and nickel-metal hydride batteries used in hybrid vehicles.
  • Nickel is often used to form protective coatings on other metals using electroplating.

About Border Security Force:

• It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces (CSPFs) of the Union of India under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs. 
• It was raised in the wake of the 1965 War on 1 December 1965.
• Mandate: It is meant to secure India’s borders with its neighbouring nations and is empowered to arrest, search and seize under several laws.
• Currently, BSF is deployed at the Indo-Pakistan International Border, the Indo-Bangladesh International Border, and Line of Control (LoC) along with the Indian Army, and in Anti-Naxal Operations.
• Role: 
  • The primary role of BSF is to protect the country’s land borders during peacetime and prevent transnational crime. 
  • They help the Indian Army during wartime as they are familiar with local people and topography. 
• Motto: The motto of BSF, “DUTY UNTO DEATH” is placed at the bottom. 
• It has a separate camel and dog wing that lets them expand their reach into varied terrain such as the India-Pakistan border in the Rann of Kutch.
• BSF is the only CAPF to have its own Air Wing, Marine Wing, and artillery regiments, which support the General Duty Battalions in their operations. 
• Powers: It has been given powers of arrest, search, and seizure under various Acts. “These Acts include Passport Act 1967, Passport Act (Entry into India) 1920, Customs Act, NDPS Act and Arms Act. 
• The head of the BSF is known as the Director General (DG), and he should be an officer from Indian Police Services (IPS).

About Lavender Cultivation:

• Lavandula (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae.
• It is a small, perennial aromatic herb shrub.
• Appearance: The flowers may be blue, violet or lilac in the wild species, occasionally blackish purple or yellowish.
• These flowers grow in temperate areas and are drought-resistant crops.
• A single lavender plant bears flowers for up to 15 years, requires minimal maintenance, and can be harvested from the second year onward.
• It is a crop native to Europe but was introduced in the temperate regions of Jammu &Kashmir state by the CSIR Aroma Mission.
• Propagation: Propagation of lavender can be done by seeds, rooted cuttings, tissue culture, and layering.
• Required climatic conditions:
  • Climate: It is a hard and temperate plant that can tolerate drought and frost conditions. The ideal climatic conditions are cool winters and cool summers.
  • It requires a good amount of sunlight.
  • Soil: It can grow well in light well-aerated soil rich with organic matter. It grows best in neutral to alkaline soil which is free draining.
    • It is very sensitive to waterlogging however can go well with poor or eroded soil.
  • Rainfall: It can produce well with an annual rainfall range from 300 to 1400 mm per year.
• Applications: Food and flavouring, Pharmaceutical and therapeutic, Cosmetic, and Industrial purposes etc.