The Union government has been promoting research and development (R&D) activities in coal & lignite sectors for improving efficiency and efficacy of coal for its wider acceptance to various industries, said the Union Minister of State for Coal, Pratik PrakashBapu Patil in Rajya Sabha recently. The Minister said that a number of such projects completed so far by Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI) are:    

Resource assessment and characterization study of non-coking coal for sponge iron industry – A study to identify non-coking coal resources, which can produce “sponge iron grade coal”. The research study proved that the most of the Indian non coking coals including inferior grade are suitable for sponge iron making as such or after beneficiation.    

Resource survey, characterisation and blending studies of low volatile coal for their use in steel industry – A research work with an aim to identify resource of low volatile coking coals in the lower seams of Jharia Coalfield, Bharat Coking Coal Limited and Karo group of seams of East Bokaro Coalfield, Central Coalfields Limited for their use in steel industries. The investigations carried out on these coal seams, coal from which is presently used for non-metallurgical purpose, showed that there is a high potential of these coals (after washing) to be used as blend constituent in coke making . The clean coals can be used as a blend constituent for coke making in steel plants and the middlings can be used in power plants.    Effective utilisation of low rank and low volatile high rank Indian coking coals for Blast Furnace (BF) coke making- A research work with an aim to study the suitability of low rank and low volatile rank coals in blast furnace coke after suitable beneficiation and blending. Coal samples from Muraidih (Jharia Coalfields), Jhanjra, Sonepur Bazari ( Raniganj Coalfields), North Urimari & Giddi A ( South Karanpura Coalfields) which are presently considered as non-coking were collected for laboratory scale washability test and subsequent coal petrography and chemical analysis. It was observed from the analysis that most of the coal have good coking properties and can be used in coke making.    

Coal-to-Liquid- In this direction, as a first step, one research project related to conversion of Coal-to-Liquid (CTL) is now under implementation by Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR) in which indigenously suitable catalysts will be developed under S&T fund of Ministry of Coal. Coal if converted to liquid could be used for automobile and other industries.