- KR Bharat
- 2025-12-24
Hyderabad-based renewable energy firm Axis Energy and Reliance Industries Ltd have emerged as the top bidders in India’s latest coal block auctions aimed at boosting domestic coal gasification and cleaner energy production. The two companies jointly bid for 17 coal blocks across Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh, signalling strong private sector interest in underground coal gasification (UCG) and downstream value-added applications.
The auctions, part of the 14th round of commercial coal mine bidding, marked the first time UCG provisions were included. Of the 41 coal mines offered, 21 were identified as having UCG potential. The initiative is aligned with the government’s target to gasify 100 million tonnes of coal by 2030, enabling the production of cleaner fuels such as syngas, hydrogen, and methanol, while reducing dependence on imported natural gas and crude oil.
Industry observers say the strong participation of Axis Energy and Reliance reflects growing confidence in India’s coal gasification policy framework and is expected to play a key role in shaping the country’s cleaner coal and energy transition ecosystem.
