Coal India Limited (CIL) is accelerating its research and development efforts to adapt to the evolving energy sector, targeting an investment of approximately Rs 1,900 crore in R&D activities by the fiscal year 2030, the state-owned company announced in a press release.
R&D Transformation and NaCCER Launch
The company's R&D transformation gained momentum in FY2024-25 with the establishment of the National Centre for Coal and Energy Research (NaCCER). Operating as a hub-and-spoke R&D centre, NaCCER has enabled CIL to progress from proof-of-concept studies to prototype development at Technology Readiness Level-4 and above.
"We intend to shift R&D to a higher orbit to drive the company's future growth and technological transformation," a senior CIL official stated.
Sharp Increase in R&D Spending
CIL's R&D expenditure surged fourfold to Rs 245 crore in FY2024-25, up from Rs 61 crore in FY2023-24. The Department of Public Enterprises requires annual R&D spending to average one per cent of profit before tax over the preceding three years. To support a structured innovation push, CIL has also formulated a comprehensive R&D Policy.
Industry-Academia Collaboration via Centres of Excellence
To strengthen ties with academia, CIL has established three Centres of Excellence (CoEs) at premier Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). These include the Centre of Clean Coal Energy and Net Zero (CLEANZ) in Hyderabad, the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) in Madras, and Innovation in Mining (IMiN) at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. The three centres function as research spokes under NaCCER, focusing on pilot-scale research, prototype development, and technology validation. CIL has committed Rs 253 crore to these CoEs, to be disbursed in phases.
Ongoing Research Projects
Currently, 19 R&D projects worth Rs 225 crore are being executed by reputed scientific institutions under NaCCER's direct oversight. Additionally, 13 research projects focused on pilot-scale work and prototypes are underway at the CoEs.
The research agenda spans multiple strategic areas:
- CLEANZ is working on clean coal energy and net-zero technologies, including enhanced coal bed methane recovery, carbon capture, utilisation and storage, mineral beneficiation, recovery of rare earth elements and critical minerals, high-ash coal gasification, and syngas utilisation.
- CSE is focusing on sustainable materials, circular economy, mine repurposing, environmental remediation, feasibility of micro modular nuclear reactors, and advanced wastewater treatment.
- IMiN is building capacity through research fellowships and developing solutions for key mining challenges.
International Partnerships
CIL has also forged global collaborations. It is working with Ergo Exergy, Canada, on the Underground Coal Gasification Project at Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL); with Ericsson, Sweden, for 5G deployment in the Jhanjra underground mine; and with CSIRO, Australia, to advance collaborative research.
