Meena at the Western Coal Fields headquarters here told reporters that Coal India will install integrated solar and pump storage projects in de-coaled land from where coal has been extracted fully.
Coal India and its subsidiary, Western Coalfields, plan to repurpose closed mines in the Chhindwara Pench area for green projects. Union Coal Secretary Amrit Lal Meena stated that 4-5 old mines have been identified for integrated solar and pump storage projects on de-coaled land. The initiative aims for optimal utilization of assets, contributing to green energy production. Meena also announced the Indian government s approval of a scheme promoting coal gasification through Viability gap funding, offering financial support to private initiatives for setting up coal gasification plants.
Coal secretary Meena highlighted the importance of discussing available technologies for coal to hydrogen conversion, cost competitiveness, global experiences, and the development of a forward-looking strategy.
The Rajasthan government, feeling the crunch of the coal crisis, has been fighting hard to maintain demand-supply balance and has written to the Union Coal Secretary Anil Jain to increase the supply of coal from Coal India.