The Union Cabinet on April 20, 2021 approved a scheme for providing subsidy for production of urea through coal gasification by Talcher Fertilizers Limited (TFL) worth over Rs 13,000 crore.
- According to the Government, the project will assist in reducing urea imports to the tune of 12.7 LMT per annum leading to savings in foreign exchange.
- Coal gasification plants are strategically important as coal prices are non-volatile and coal is abundantly available.
- The Government also says that, Talcher plant shall also reduce dependence on important Natural Gas for production of urea leading to reduction in LNG import bill.
- The gasification process adopted in Talcher unit “is a Clean Coal Technology giving negligible SOx, NOx and free particulate emissions as compared to directly coal fired processes.
What is Coal gasification?
- Coal gasification is the process of producing syngas, a mixture consisting carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), natural gas (CH4), and water vapour (H2O).
- During gasification, coal is blown with oxygen and steam while also being heated under high pressure. During the reaction, oxygen and water molecules oxidize the coal and produce syngas.
