New Delhi: A pre-application conference for the Ministry of Coal's Rs 37,500-crore scheme to promote surface coal and lignite gasification projects drew "strong industry interest," the ministry said in a statement on Monday, reporting participation from public sector enterprises, private companies, technology providers and prospective applicants. The conference was held the same day under the chairmanship of Sanoj Kumar Jha, Additional Secretary in the Ministry, ahead of the September-7 deadline for applications.
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The ministry said it provided clarifications on the scheme guidelines and the Request for Proposal (RFP), "covering eligibility criteria, evaluation methodology, financial incentives, and the application process," and addressed queries from participants. It said the last date for submission of applications is September 7, and "encouraged all eligible entities to submit their proposals within the prescribed timeline."
The Rs 37,500-crore scheme, cleared by the Union Cabinet on May 13, "aims to accelerate the development of surface coal/lignite gasification projects" and to support production of high-value downstream products including synthetic natural gas, ammonia, methanol, DRI, synthetic fuels and chemicals, the statement said. It described the initiative as a move to promote "cleaner and value-added utilisation of domestic coal."
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The ministry said the scheme is expected to catalyse investments of around Rs 2.5–3 lakh crore, use nearly 75 million tonnes of coal a year, generate about 50,000 employment opportunities, and "significantly reduce India's dependence on imports of energy and chemical products."