By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR:The Coal Gasifiers Association of India, serving as the country’s top professionally run apex body for the sector, successfully organized a major international conference titled “Challenges, Opportunities and New Technologies in Coal Gasification” in Bhubaneswar recently. Driven by India’s vast domestic coal reserves and the Ministry of Coal’s financial assistance initiatives under the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme, the conference established a compelling business case for scaling coal gasification to achieve national self-reliance.
The landmark event witnessed widespread support and participation from major industry leaders, including Coal India, Mahanadi Coalfields, Southeastern Coalfields, GAIL, NTPC, and Jindal Steel, alongside international delegations from Sri Lanka and technical experts from Canada.
Throughout the proceedings, over 25 expert speakers presented technical papers detailing modern solutions for processing high-ash Indian coal and establishing domestic production pathways for strategic chemicals to curb foreign import dependence. Industry leaders from NTPC and Jindal Steel highlighted several key initiatives aligned directly with the national objective of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
As a key highlight of the event, the Coal Gasifiers Association of India organised an official field visit to Jindal Steel’s flagship plant in Angul. The participants visited India’s unique Coal Gasification-based Direct Reduced Iron (CGP-DRI) facility, which uses coal gasification technology to produce high-quality steel.
The Angul plant is home to India’s first CGP-DRI facility for steelmaking, making it a significant example of innovative coal utilisation in the country. With advanced technologies, modern production facilities and a strong focus on efficiency and sustainability, Jindal Steel’s Angul plant is among the most modern steelmaking facilities in India.
The delegates appreciated the plant’s operations, which include the largest blast furnace in the country, and gained first-hand knowledge of the best global practices and advanced technologies being adopted as part of the plant’s ongoing expansion.
Sanjay Singh, Advisor to Jindal Steel and President of the Coal Gasifiers Association of India; Dr. A.K. Balyan, General Secretary; and Vice-President and coal gasification expert Kapil Dhagat, R.K. Singhal, Director, Business Development, GAIL were prominently present at the conference. Asit Tripathy, former Chief Secretary of Odisha, was the Chief Guest of the conference.
About the Coal Gasifiers Association of India (CGAI)
The Coal Gasifiers Association of India is the premier professional organization dedicated to advancing clean coal technologies, gasification infrastructure, and industrial policy across India. By uniting industry leaders, technology providers, and policymakers, CGAI works to enhance national energy security and reduce foreign commodity reliance.
