The industry has shown keen interest in the Rs 37,500 crore surface coal gasification scheme of the Coal Ministry. A pre-application conference was enthusiastically participated by PSUs and private companies. Its objective is to promote clean use of domestic coal.
New Delhi [भारत]July 20 (ANI): The industry has shown keen interest in the government’s Rs 37,500 crore surface coal/lignite gasification scheme, the Coal Ministry said. Public sector enterprises, private companies, technology providers and potential applicants participated in a pre-application conference held on Monday ahead of the bidding process.
According to a press release from the Coal Ministry, the conference was held under the chairmanship of Additional Secretary Manoj Kumar Jha. It was organized to clarify the scheme guidelines and Request for Proposal (RFP) for potential applicants. The ministry said the conference witnessed “enthusiastic participation from public sector enterprises, private companies, technology providers and potential applicants, reflecting the strong interest of the industry in the government’s flagship initiative to promote clean and value-added use of domestic coal.”
What happened in the conference?
During this session, the officials explained in detail about the guidelines and RFP of the scheme. This included “eligibility criteria, evaluation methodology, financial incentives and application process”. Besides, the questions raised by the participants were also answered.
Objective and target of the scheme
The ministry said that this scheme of Rs 37,500 crore was approved by the Union Cabinet on May 13. It aims to accelerate the development of surface coal and lignite gasification projects and promote production of value-added products.
According to the release, the scheme will support the production of “high-value downstream products such as synthetic natural gas, ammonia, methanol, DRI, synthetic fuels and chemicals”.
What will be the benefits of the scheme?
The ministry said the scheme is expected to attract investments of around Rs 2.5 lakh crore to Rs 3 lakh crore. This will enable the utilization of approximately 75 million tonnes of coal annually, create approximately 50,000 employment opportunities and reduce India’s dependence on imported energy and chemical products.
The Coal Ministry also informed the participants that the last date for submission of applications is 7th September and encouraged all eligible entities to submit their proposals within the stipulated time frame.
According to the ministry, this pre-application conference was organized to help potential applicants better understand the scheme and to facilitate wider participation in the government’s coal gasification programme. (ANI)
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