Union Coal Secretary Amrit Lal Meena announced on Sunday that Coal India, along with its subsidiary Western Coalfields, has identified four to five closed mines in the Chhindwara Pench area for the establishment of green projects, focusing on maximizing asset utilization. The plan involves the installation of integrated solar and pump storage projects on de-coaled land, where coal extraction has been completed. This initiative aims to make optimal use of Western Coalfields’ assets, with the selected old mines serving as sites for integrated solar and hydropower plants to contribute to green energy production. During a visit to the old coal mines, Meena, along with WCL’s chairman and managing director and other officials, assessed areas where mining activities have concluded. Meena added that WCL will conduct surveys to identify more de-coaled assets in the region, and, following expert assessments, will strive to make the best use of these assets. Additionally, Meena highlighted the Indian government’s approval of a scheme promoting coal gasification through ‘Viability Gap Funding,’ offering financial support of Rs 1000 crore or 15% of the project cost (whichever is lower) for private sector initiatives establishing coal gasification plants. Private entrepreneurs aiming to set up smaller gasification plants with a minimum investment of Rs 100 crores will receive viability gap funding of 15% of the project cost, he added.
