The world’s largest coal miner, Coal India Ltd. (CIL) is aiming to produce 676,0

The world’s largest coal miner, Coal India Ltd. (CIL) is aiming to produce 676,000-tpa of methanol to boost clean energy initiatives, its Chairman Mr. Anil Kumar Jha has said. His statement comes at a time when the government is betting big on alternative fuels and pushing electric vehicles (EVs).

Steps have been taken towards methanol production, with the Centre recently easing norms for CIL to extract natural gas and coal bed methane (CBM) from coal seams, Mr. Jha said. Earlier, CIL had to apply for a licence to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to extract CBM from its coal seams, but now the government has done away with any such requirement.

“In 2017-18, the licensors for supply of coal gasification technology have been pre-qualified, and pre-feasibility study for producing 6.76 lakh metric tonne per annum of methanol has been completed,” the chairman said in a report.

He said CIL is planning to set up the coal-based methanol plant at Dankuni Coal Complex (DCC) of South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. (SECL), a subsidiary of the company.

“The methanol to be produced at DCC will likely find a definitive market in the eastern states once the government’s policy of blending methanol with petrol comes into practice,” he said.

As part of its initiative to promote clean energy and environment, the government think-tank, Niti Aayog, had earlier said it is preparing a road map for full-scale implementation of methanol economy in the near future.

Pushing clean energy initiatives, the government has decided to exempt EVs and all vehicles including autorickshaws, buses and taxis run on alternative fuels like ethanol, biodiesel, CNG, methanol and biofuel, from permit requirements.