Coal Gasification
Technology and Process
Coal gasification is a thermo-chemical process that partially oxidises coal at high temperatures and pressures in the presence of steam and limited oxygen. The output — syngas — is a mixture primarily comprising carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and hydrogen (H₂), which can be further processed into multiple industrial inputs.
- Syngas can be used as a feedstock for Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) production, as a substitute for natural gas in industrial heating, and as an input for hydrogen production through Water-Gas Shift reactions.
- Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) is a variant that converts coal to syngas in situ, without mining it — reducing surface environmental disruption but posing groundwater contamination risks.
- Surface gasification plants process mined coal in controlled reactor environments; these are more technologically mature and scalable.
- Coal gasification is one of the most carbon-intensive pathways for steel production — each syngas production stage generates CO₂, creating a direct conflict with decarbonisation goals unless paired with Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS).
● Tracked since February 25, 2026 · last seen June 08, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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