CMD Dr. Buddaprakash Jyoti Reviews Coal Gasification Initiatives with Director General of Hydrocarbons
THE JOURNALIST POST | HYDERABAD | July 11
The Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has initiated plans to diversify its operations by entering the coal gasification sector, with preparations underway for its first Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) pilot project.Singareni Chairman and Managing Director Dr. Buddaprakash Jyoti announced the initiative during a meeting with Dr. Nagulapalli Srikanth under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas at Singareni Bhavan on Friday.
The CMD said the move aligns with the Telangana Government’s vision of expanding Singareni’s business portfolio beyond conventional coal mining through the adoption of advanced energy technologies.As part of the initiative, Engineers India Limited has completed a feasibility study for establishing a 400-tonne-per-day Ammonium Nitrate Melt Plant within the Singareni Thermal Power Plant premises. While the current financial returns are not considered viable, SCCL is evaluating options such as increasing production capacity, availing Central Government Viability Gap Funding, and adopting indigenous technologies to improve the project’s commercial feasibility.To strengthen technical expertise, a delegation of Singareni officials will visit leading coal gasification projects at Talcher, MCL-BHEL, and JSPL later this month to study best practices and technological advancements in the sector.
The company is also conducting a techno-economic assessment for surface coal gasification projects in the Bhimaram, Chennur South, and Naini coalfields to identify commercially viable opportunities.A major focus of the initiative is Underground Coal Gasification (UCG). Singareni has identified five deep coal blocks in the Bellampalli and Ramagundam regions for potential development. Preparatory drilling activities are currently underway for the company’s first pilot UCG project at the Bellampalli Dip-side Block.The pilot project will be implemented with technical guidance from scientists of CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CSIR-CIMFR), aiming to explore cleaner and more efficient utilization of deep coal reserves that are otherwise difficult to mine through conventional methods.Senior SCCL officials, including Directors L.V. Suryanarayana (Operations), K. Venkateswarlu (Projects & Planning), Gautam Potru (Personnel & Finance), along with executives from Coal Movement, Business Development, Research & Development, Planning, Coordination, and Marketing divisions, participated in the review meeting.The proposed coal gasification initiatives are expected to support Singareni’s long-term diversification strategy while contributing to cleaner energy technologies and value-added coal utilization in Telangana.
