Challenges in Coal Gasification Industry | CASE Group

The advent of Coal Gasification into the Indian Industry was seen as a major fuel source and a perfect substitute for high-cost fuels which were then being used for the thermal application during manufacturing of items like steel, glass, ceramics, chemicals, aluminum etc. The manufacturing of finished products, fuels such as HFO, Natural Gas, LNG, Propane etc. were being used in large quantities. Coal Gasification not only substituted these industrial fuel but also set a benchmark for new and upcoming industry to exploit and explore the possibility of using coal gas as their primary process fuel.

With it came the challenges of handling an environmentally non- friendly raw material "Coal". During the process of coal gasification, the management of by-products such as tarry wastes, phenolic water, coal ash, coal dust etc. were also required to be addressed.

Coal gasification has seen a metamorphosis in technology development. Primarily, two variants are prevalent in the Indian Industry- Static Bed Coal (SBC) Gasification and Fluidized Bed Coal (FBC) Gasification. Depending on the application and magnanimity of the project and commercial challenges, the gasification technologist recommends and selects the desired variant.

Pyrolysis Clean Coal Gasification which happens to fall under the category of SBC Gasification has been able to address mostly all of the environmental challenges faced by the gasification industry. This design ensures a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) process by which all the phenolic water generated in the process is treated and used back (re-cycled) in the gasification process cycle. This takes care of the Phenolic Water concern. The tar generated in the process is professionally handled in underground concrete tanks. The tar has high fluidity and can be combusted and used as a fuel for the plants thermal applications. The coal ash generated during the gasification process is granular in form and in no way be held responsible for cause any form of air pollution. This coal ash can be used as land fill or can be used as an aggregate for making cement blocks. Thus, we can see choosing the right technology not only helps the end-user in preventing further damage to their environment but also save millions and millions of rupees for themselves and for the nation.

It is a known fact that Coal Gasification implemented in the correct way will result in enormous savings and will narrow the huge gap on India's Balance of Payments (mainly because of crude oil imports reduction).

                                                                                 By Rahuel George, CountryHead of CASE Group

About the Author 

Rahuel George has an experience of more than 15 years in the coal gasification industry. He is the CountryHead of CASE Group, an organization known for setting up most of the available technologies in the field of coal gasification. He has successfully handled and executed numerous "Hot Gasifier", "Pyrolysis Clean Gas" Technology  projects in India and abroad. He has been a lead member is setting up Coal Gasification as a cost effective fuel for "Glass Industry" and "Porcelain Insulators Industry", these projects being first of their kind in the world.