Coal gasification as a factor in strengthening India's food security

India's food security depends on domestic production capabilities, as well as the availability and cost of raw materials for producing basic nutritional elements. In the last financial year, the country imported approximately USD 8 billion worth of urea and ammonia, which underscores the need to reduce dependence on external supplies across the entire fertilizer value chain.

The gasification method makes it possible to process domestic coal into synthesis gas, consisting primarily of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. After purification, hydrogen is combined with nitrogen to produce ammonia, which serves as a key intermediate in the production of nitrogen fertilizers, while subsequent reactions with carbon dioxide allow for the production of urea. Along with chemical gasification, thermal gasification is used to convert coal into fuel gas to supply heat to industrial furnaces, boilers, and kilns.

In May 2026, the Government of India approved a policy worth Rs 37,500 crore aimed at promoting the surface coal and lignite gasification. This initiative supports the authorities' plans to gasify 100 million tonnes of coal by 2030. The technologies are also improving in environmental and economic aspects: carbon capture systems achieve an efficiency of 80 to 90 percent, zero liquid discharge systems reduce the demand for fresh water, and thermal gasification in some applications has already reduced heating costs by nearly half at a thermal efficiency of about 90 percent.