The Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers has recently signed off on a new contract that aims to increase the production of urea in the country. This will be accomplished through the implementation of a coal gasification plant for the urea project, located at Talchar in Odisha.
Urea Production: An Overview
Currently, urea production across India is majorly done by using pooled natural gas, a resource that comprises both domestic Natural Gas and imported Liquified Natural Gas (LNG). However, the import of LNG poses two main challenges. Firstly, it is costly and secondly, it results in significant expenditure of valuable foreign exchange. As such, there is an increasing preference towards utilizing indigenous raw materials for the production of urea and other fertilizers across the country.
Advantages of Coal Gasification for Urea Production
The project aiming to use coal gasification to produce urea holds great promise. It is expected to significantly boost India’s self-sufficiency in urea production, while simultaneously encouraging agricultural growth throughout the nation. Additionally, the project is anticipated to promote the use of domestic coal, which is available in abundance, in an eco-friendly manner. This technological advancement in urea production may also catalyze the use of coal in producing other products like syngas, diesel, methanol, petrochemicals, and more.
Understanding Coal Gasification
The process of coal gasification involves a chemical transformation of fossil fuel into Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) rather than simply burning the fossil fuel. The process results in the production of Syngas, a mixture consisting chiefly of methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and water vapor (H2O).
| Component | Chemical Symbol |
|---|---|
| Methane | CH4 |
| Carbon Monoxide | CO |
| Hydrogen | H2 |
| Carbon Dioxide | CO2 |
| Water Vapor | H2O |
Syngas: Versatile and Useful
Syngas can be utilized in producing a vast range of fertilizers, fuels, solvents, and synthetic materials. It is primarily used for electricity generation and for the production of chemical feedstocks. Additionally, hydrogen obtained from coal gasification can be used for varied purposes such as making ammonia or powering a hydrogen economy. A technique known as in-situ gasification of coal or Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) involves converting coal into gas while it is still in the seam and then extracting it through wells.
