CIL plans diversification into energy, critical minerals and advanced materials
New Delhi, Sept 20 (TNT): Coal India Limited (CIL) is expanding beyond conventional coal mining into energy, critical minerals, advanced materials and technology-driven businesses as part of a broader diversification strategy.
The company’s Business Development portfolio is focused on five areas — coal gasification and coal-to-chemicals, thermal power, renewable energy and storage, critical minerals and advanced materials, and diversified minerals including iron ore.
CIL’s portfolio includes four major coal-to-chemicals projects with an aggregate estimated investment of around Rs 69,346 crore, a 2×800 MW ultra-supercritical expansion at Chandrapura, around 550 MW of commissioned solar capacity and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) initiatives.
The company’s coal-to-chemicals initiatives include Talcher Fertilizers Ltd’s 1.27 million tonne per annum urea project, Bharat Coal Gasification & Chemicals Ltd’s 0.66 million tonne ammonium nitrate project, Coal Gas India Ltd’s 633.6 million Nm3 per year synthetic natural gas (SNG) project and the CIL-BPCL Chandrapur coal-to-SNG initiative with a similar capacity.
CIL is also pursuing an underground coal gasification pilot at the Kasta West Block of Eastern Coalfields Ltd. Phase I was completed in May 2025, while Phase II commenced in June 2025 and is scheduled for completion in 2026.
In the power sector, CIL and Damodar Valley Corporation are implementing a proposed 2×800 MW ultra-supercritical brownfield expansion at Chandrapura, Jharkhand, through a proposed 50:50 joint venture.
CIL has also commissioned around 550 MW of solar capacity and is developing additional rooftop, ground-mounted, captive, interstate and market-linked renewable projects.
CIL is developing a 20 MW AC grid-connected floating solar project at Chilwa Taal in Gorakhpur and is also pursuing BESS projects, including a 187.5 MW/750 MWh project at Choutuppal in Telangana and an 80 MW/320 MWh portfolio across four locations in Odisha.
The company is exploring critical mineral opportunities, including graphite assets in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and rare earth element and rare-metal opportunities in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
It aims to establish an integrated graphite value chain covering mining, beneficiation, purification, spheronisation, coating and production of anode materials.
CIL is also strengthening its research and development ecosystem, with thrust areas including artificial intelligence, machine learning and IoT-based smart mining, mine safety, environmental sustainability, waste-to-wealth, renewable energy, clean coal and mineral processing.
Its R&D portfolio comprises 20 projects with an approved outlay of Rs 231 crore. The company has supported Centres of Excellence at IIT Madras, IIT Hyderabad and IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, among others.
CIL said its R&D expenditure stood at Rs 183.88 crore in 2025-26, while planned expenditure has been set at Rs 225 crore for 2026-27, rising to Rs 500 crore by 2029-30.
During 2026-27, the company has filed five patents, with two more under process, and secured one patent for bifacial perovskite solar cells.
The company said its future focus would be on technology validation, indigenous capabilities, strategic partnerships, disciplined investment and digital governance, with the objective of supporting energy and mineral security, import substitution and technological self-reliance.
TNT KM
