India's coal gasification push needs a Chinese technology bridge

India is set to benefit from Chinese technology in its coal gasification push, with seven companies including Adani and NTPC applying for incentives under the government's new scheme. China is the world leader in commercial coal gasification, while India aims to produce 100 million tonnes of coal gasification capacity by 2030. The government's new ₹37,500-crore scheme aims to support this target, with the goal of producing syngas and downstream products such as urea, methanol, ammonia, hydrogen, and synthetic natural gas. Indian coal has a high ash content, which presents special challenges for gasification technology. China's six decades of experience and developed ecosystem of gasifiers, chemicals, and fertilisers make it an ideal partner for India. Roger Kumar, founder of CASE Group, says India should explore access to Chinese coal gasification technology to accelerate production. China has successfully built a large gasification industry despite having relatively high-ash coal, and its manufacturers are leaders in entrained-flow gasifiers. However, the NITI Aayog report notes that India's coal presents special challenges involving ash chemistry, equipment matching, and operations. The technology would have to be tailored to work with Indian coal, rather than using an off-the-shelf gasifier. Kumar argues that India should learn from China's experience rather than spending decades developing the technology from scratch.