The government is likely to seek expertise from Russia and the US for its ambitious project to convert coal into gas as part of developing alternate energy sources.
Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal is planning to lead a high-level delegation to both the countries in January and hold discussions with the experts there.
"After the winter session of Parliament, I am planning to visit Russia and the US with the purpose of giving impetus to our proposed coal gasification project. We will hold talks with interested parties there who have expertise in converting coal into gas," Jaiswal told PTI.
Both the countries have rich experience in such projects and collaborating with them would benift India, he added.
The delegation accompanying the minister will comprise Coal Secretary C Balakrishnan, Coal India Chairman Partha S Bhattacharyya among other top officials from the ministry.
In July, the Coal Ministry had announced guidelines for Under-Ground Coal Gasification restricting it for the companies with a minimum net worth of Rs 200 crore and a competitive foreign technology partner. Further, Jaiswal is scheduled to discuss the project at length with members of a Parliament committee on November 19.
The government is looking at alternative sources of energy with lower carbon emissions. Coal gasification is an eco-friendly way of converting coal into syngas which can be processed to make fuels like diesel.