Assuring that the government will take all necessary policy steps to launch coal gasification project in India, Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal today said he will initiate talks with Russia for the same.
"We will initiate dialogue with Russia for coal gasification project. We will take all necessary steps to make the project go onstream," Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal told reporters here, adding that Russia has over 30 years of experience in coal gasification.
Coal gasification Is an environment-friendly way of converting coal into hydrogen and other valuable energy.
Russia's expertise would help India increase its resources to generate power and "use the gas to bridge the resource shortfall".
He added that majority of the coal reserves are in the forest areas and high-end technology is needed to use the natural resources.
"As much as 60 per cent of coal resource available cannot be utilised because it is under forest cover. We have to bring the technology in place soon," he said.
Coal Ministry issued guidelines for coal gasification in the first 100-day of the UPA government's return to power.