Research Projects

The Indian Ministry of Coal has recognized the need for pilot and commercial operations for Underground or In situ Coal Gasification (UCG) technology to produce cleaner energy using domestic coal resources, including unmineable deposits. UCG is a thermo-chemical process that involves injecting oxidants, gasifying coal in situ, and bringing the product synthetic gas to the surface. The rate of gasification reactions is influenced by factors such as coal composition, thermal maturity, reactive surface area, and char morphology. To understand gasification kinetics of Indian coals, a combination of petrographic study, elemental analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) will be conducted. This data will be used to simulate the in situ gasification process and optimize the PT-X conditions for sustained flow of quality gas and cavity growth. The study aims to develop best practice guidelines for planning UCG projects, designing the UCG gasifier, obtaining the desired syngas composition, and scaling up for field trials. However, there is a risk of contamination of groundwater in surrounding aquifers with byproducts of UCG, including complex organics, poly aromatic hydrocarbons, and other gas phase contaminants.