National Mineral Congress Delegates Visit JSP’s Coal Gasification Plant At Odisha’s Angul

Angul: Delegates of National Mineral Congress visited the Coal Gasification Plant (CGP) set up by Jindal Steel & Power (JSP) at Angul on the second day of Mining Congress on Saturday.

The 60-strong visiting team, comprised of senior mining professionals from various metal, mining and mining technology organizations across India, got an overview of all units of CGP for a first-hand knowledge about its functioning and advantages.

JSP’s Managing Director VR Sharma and other senior officials explained all features of CGP and the process of synthesis gas production to the visiting delegates.

Addressing the first session of National Mineral Congress – organized by Indian National Committee World Mining Congress and supported by Union Ministry of Coal — at Bhubaneswar on May 27, JSP Chairman Naveen Jindal said coal gasification is the “future” of coal.

“Coal gasification uses the chemical energy of coal and offers the cleanest and most efficient means to produce sponge steel and chemicals like methanol, ethanol and blue hydrogen,” said Jindal.

Highlighting advantages of coal gas technology, VR Sharma said: “The synthesis gas produced from the CGP contains 60 percent hydrogen. We can make the cheapest blue hydrogen from this. The Government needs to ensure the availability of coal to the CGP from a single coal mine; so that it can get coal of consistent quality and achieve better efficiency.”

JSP is the world’s first steelmaker to produce steel through the CGP-DRI route.

Sharma suggested that more coal gasification plants need to be promoted in and around coal-bearing areas so that logistics expenses are minimized.