Central Coalfields plans coal-to-liquid project

Kolkata, March 18 (IANS) Coal India's subsidiary Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) which is planning to undertake a coal-to-liquid project will invite expression of interest soon for it, a top company official said on Saturday.

Coal to liquid refers to conversion of coal to liquid fuel which could be used as automobile fuel. The diversified product of coal could also be useful for replacing imported petroleum oil.

"Central Coalfields is planning to embark on a coal-to- liquid project in Chatra district (Jharkhand). We have authorised them to invite expression of interest," Coal India's Chairman Sutirtha Bhattacharya said here.

In fact, the miner has already expressed its intention to diversify in to a new 'coal-to-chemical' business domain by converting the high calorific value, low ash thermal coal into chemical.

The miner invited expression of interest for pre-qualification of licensers of coal gasification technology for the proposed coal based methanol plant.

To implement this new strategy, it has already identified West Bengal's Dankuni Coal Complex as the location for setting up a coal-to-methanol complex by using good quality coal from Ranigunj coalfield.

"We want to explore whether other products can be coal produced," he said on the sidelines of a symposium on Coal Quality with Emphasis on 3rd Party Sampling and Analysis organised by the Coal Consumers' Association of India.

Bhattacharya said third party sampling would be strengthened by increasing the referral laboratories.

However, he said the miner is not considering exports of the fossil fuel at present.

"We were discussing with our neighbouring country Bangladesh. Presently, we are not strongly looking at the exports of coal," he said.