Catch up on the essentials
- The portfolio includes four major coal-to-chemicals projects with a combined estimated project cost of nearly ₹69,346 crore.
- Investments under the portfolio include nation-wide projects such as a 2×800 MW Chandrapura ultra-supercritical thermal power expansion and approximately 550 MW of commissioned solar capacity, alongside grid-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) initiatives.
- The portfolio extends into critical minerals, downstream materials, and diversified minerals including iron ore, with ventures planned in advanced materials and R&D.
Selected from this article · 2026-09-21
Read on for the full pictureCoal India's Five-Platform Diversification Framework
State-owned Coal India Limited (CIL) announced a Business Development portfolio aimed at expanding beyond conventional coal-mining operations, structured around five mutually reinforcing platforms: coal gasification and coal-to-chemicals; thermal power; renewable energy and storage; critical minerals and advanced materials; and diversified minerals, including iron ore. According to a statement released by the Ministry of Coal, the portfolio is intended to build a diversified, technology-driven presence spanning energy, minerals, advanced materials, and research and development, guided by the principle of "diversification with purpose" targeting energy and mineral security, import substitution, indigenous technology, low-carbon growth, and resilient domestic manufacturing.
Coal Gasification and Coal-to-Chemicals Initiatives
The portfolio includes four major coal-to-chemicals projects with a combined estimated project cost of nearly ₹69,346 crore. These are Talcher Fertilisers Ltd, with a capacity of 1.27 MMTPA of urea and an estimated cost of Rs 19,062.22 crore; Bharat Coal Gasification & Chemicals Ltd, with a capacity of 0.66 MMTPA of ammonium nitrate and an estimated cost of Rs 25,015.89 crore; Coal Gas India Ltd, with a capacity of 633.6 million Nm³ per year of synthetic natural gas (SNG) and an estimated cost of Rs 13,052.81 crore; and the CIL-BPCL Chandrapur coal-to-SNG initiative. The Ministry noted that coal gasification converts coal into syngas, which can be used to produce SNG, ammonia, urea, ammonium nitrate, methanol, and other chemicals, unlocking greater chemical value from coal while supporting import substitution.
Thermal Power, Renewables, and Storage Projects
Investments under the portfolio include nation-wide projects such as a 2×800 MW Chandrapura ultra-supercritical thermal power expansion and approximately 550 MW of commissioned solar capacity, alongside grid-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) initiatives. The Ministry highlighted that CIL's existing nationwide operations, project-development experience, government relationships, land and coal resources, procurement systems, balance sheet, and partnership capabilities position it as a strong candidate for diversification into these energy sectors.
Critical Minerals, Advanced Materials, and Diversified Mining
The portfolio extends into critical minerals, downstream materials, and diversified minerals including iron ore, with ventures planned in advanced materials and R&D. The Ministry statement framed the move as targeting both energy and mineral security while maintaining commercial sustainability and risk-adjusted returns.
Next Verifiable Milestone
The portfolio announcement was accompanied by an indication that CIL will undertake project execution across the listed coal-to-chemicals, thermal power, solar, and critical minerals ventures, with the Talcher Fertilisers, Bharat Coal Gasification & Chemicals, Coal Gas India, and CIL-BPCL Chandrapur initiatives representing the next concrete project-development benchmarks to track.
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