The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy would provide technical, policy, and capacity building support, while the Ministry of Coal would offer land, capital, and undertake the implementation of solar energy, green hydrogen, and other renewable energy projects, as per the discussion between the two ministries

The Ministry of Coal and the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy have joined forces to advance green energy initiatives.  It was decided that the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy would provide technical, policy, and capacity building support, while the Ministry of Coal would offer land, capital, and undertake the implementation of solar energy, green hydrogen, and other renewable energy projects.

Significant strides have already been made in this direction, with central public sector undertakings under the Ministry of Coal, including Coal India Limited, NLCIL, and SCCL, embarking on a net-zero plan in alignment with the Panchamrit targets. Notably, they have installed over 1,600 MW of solar energy generation capacity, with an additional 500 MW of solar projects in various stages of development.

During a recent secretary-level meeting between the two ministries,, it was highlighted that coal companies possess surplus land that can be utilised by private investors for green hydrogen projects. Moreover, coal CPSEs have vast land reserves in open-cast mines with naturally occurring water storage reservoirs and a significant elevation. By constructing top reservoirs, these de-coaled mines can be transformed into pump storage projects, and efforts to expedite these projects were emphasised.

Furthermore, coal CPSEs have substantial land resources in the form of overburden dumps, presenting an opportunity to establish solar projects. Approximately 85 residential colonies in coal-bearing regions, with around 50,000 houses, will be assessed for rooftop solar installations as part of a mission to cover all government buildings and residences.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy will support the Ministry of Coal and its CPSEs in capacity building through training programs for engineers, technicians, and other personnel, facilitated by the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE).

The collaborative efforts will also involve knowledge partnerships with institutions such as IIT Roorkee, the Solar Energy Corporation of India, and other resource agencies associated with MNRE. The CPSEs under the Ministry of Coal are projected to generate approximately 12 GW of capacity by 2030. Additionally, the Ministry of Coal is in the process of identifying more than 10 land patches, each exceeding 300 acres, to offer to private investors for green hydrogen projects under the policy of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.