Mumbai, July 6 -- Coal India has announced plans to invest Rs 19 bn in research and development by fiscal year 2030 to boost mine productivity and reduce emissions while supporting the national energy transition. The company said the funding will aim to commercialise cleaner coal technologies, progress net-zero solutions, enable mine repurposing and advance recovery of critical minerals through collaboration with research institutions. The announcement defined billion (bn) and million (mn) as units for subsequent references.
The R&D push accelerated in 2024-25 with the launch of the National Centre for Coal and Energy Research on a hub-and-spoke model, the company said in a regulatory filing, and work has moved beyond proof of concept to prototype development at Technology Readiness Levels of four and higher. NaCCER will oversee projects executed by scientific institutions and coordinate Centres of Excellence advancing pilot-scale research. The strategy focuses on prototype demonstrations that can be scaled within company operations.
Capital allocation for research rose markedly, with expenditure increasing four-fold to Rs 2.45 bn in 2024-25 from Rs 0.61 bn in 2023-24. At present, 19 R&D projects with a combined outlay of Rs 2.25 bn are being executed under NaCCER oversight and a further 13 projects involving pilot-scale research and prototype work are underway at Centres of Excellence across multiple cities. This spending profile underscores a shift from early stage research to applied development.
International partnerships form part of the effort, including collaboration with Ergo Exergy of Canada on an underground coal gasification project at Eastern Coalfields Limited, work with Ericsson of Sweden to deploy 5G technologies in the Jhanjra underground mine and joint research with CSIRO of Australia. Coal India accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output and the company views the programme as a means to adapt its asset base to evolving energy markets and support cleaner operations.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.