According high priority to promote clean technologies in coal mining, the Coal Ministry has identified seven blocks for development of underground coal gasification (UCG), said the Coal Minister, Mr Sriprakash Jaiswal, on Monday.

These include five lignite blocks and two coal blocks, Mr Jaiswal said at the inaugural of Coal Gas 2011, a two-day event on clean coal technologies. UCG is an industrial process of converting coal into gas and is considered eco friendly.

The Government has already notified coal gasification and coal liquefaction as end uses under the captive mining policy. Two coal blocks in Orissa have already been allotted to two private companies for development of coal-to-liquid (CTL) plants, Mr Jaiswal said.

Challenges

Stating that environmental challenges were going to be more stringent in years to come, Mr Jaiswal said coal producers and consumers will need to address such issues for sustaining the projected growth in our energy planning through technology adoption.

Focussing on coal beneficiation in a big way, Mr Jaiswal said Coal India is setting up 20 washeries with an annual capacity 111 million tonnes in the 11th and 12th Plan. The Government has already awarded 33 blocks for exploration and exploitation of coal-bed methane in four rounds of bidding and two have reportedly entered into commercial production, he said.

Speaking to presspersons, Mr Jaiswal said he expects clearances from the Environment Ministry to majority of Coal India's 154 projects soon. Mr Jaiswal and the Environment Minister, Mr Jairam Ramesh, met last week to sort out issues affecting the coal sector.

According to the Coal Ministry, about 154 project proposals of Coal India are pending with the Environment Ministry for clearances in various stages.

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