Coal India, WCL to set up green energy projects at closed mines in Chhindwara area: Coal Secy

Coal India and its subsidiary Western Coalfields have identified four to five closed mines in the Chhindwara Pench area for setting up green projects for optimum utilisation of assets, Union Coal Secretary Amrit Lal Meena said on Sunday. Meena at the Western Coal Fields headquarters here told reporters that Coal India will install integrated solar and pump storage projects in de-coaled land from where coal has been extracted fully.

The move is aimed at the optimum utilisation of WCL assets and 4-5 old mines have been identified in the Chhindwara Pench area wherein integrated solar and hydropower plants would be set up to contribute to green energy production, the secretary said.

He informed that he along with the WCL chairman and managing director and other officials visited and inspected the old coal mines where mining work has finished.

” WCL will survey more such de-coaled assets in the region and after assessment by experts, WCL will try to make optimum use of those assets of WCL which have been de-coaled,” he said.

Meena also informed that the Indian government has approved a scheme to promote coal gasification through ‘Viability gap funding’. Earlier, the government has also notified two or three incentives for coal gasification.

He further said the government will give financial support of Rs 1000 crore or 15 per cent of the project cost or whichever is lower for private sector initiative who want to set up their coal gasification plant. “Similarly, those private entrepreneurs who want to set up small gasification plants with a minimum investment of Rs 100 crores will be allowed viability gap funding of 15 per cent of the project cost,” he said.