Strong Industry Participation Marks Pre-Application Conference for ₹37,500 Crore Surface Coal/Lignite Gasification Scheme
The Ministry of Coal today successfully conducted the Pre-Application Conference for the ₹37,500 Crore Scheme for Promotion of Surface Coal/Lignite Gasification Projects under the chairmanship of Shri Sanoj Kumar Jha, Additional Secretary, MoC. The conference witnessed enthusiastic participation from public sector enterprises, private companies, technology providers, and prospective applicants, reflecting strong industry interest in the Government's flagship initiative to promote cleaner and value-added utilisation of domestic coal.
During the session, Ministry provided detailed clarifications on the Scheme Guidelines and the Request for Proposal (RFP), covering eligibility criteria, evaluation methodology, financial incentives, and the application process, while comprehensively addressing queries raised by participants.
The ₹37,500 crore Scheme, approved by the Union Cabinet on 13 May 2026, aims to accelerate the development of surface coal/lignite gasification projects and support the production of high-value downstream products such as synthetic natural gas, ammonia, methanol, DRI, synthetic fuels, and chemicals. The Scheme is expected to catalyse investments of around ₹2.5–3 lakh crore, facilitate utilisation of nearly 75 million tonnes of coal annually, generate about 50,000 employment opportunities, and significantly reduce India's dependence on imports of energy and chemical products. The Ministry informed participants that the last date for submission of applications is 7 September 2026 and encouraged all eligible entities to submit their proposals within the prescribed timeline.
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Shuhaib T