BHEL’s Coal to Methanol (CTM) plant dedicated to nation

As part of the ongoing Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, Hon’ble Union Minister for Heavy Industries, Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey dedicated India’s first, BHEL-built Coal to Methanol (CTM) pilot plant, to the Nation. Dr Nalin Shinghal, CMD, BHEL, Shri Jeetendra Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Functional Directors on the Board of BHEL and senior officials of the Ministry of Heavy Industries and BHEL were present in the virtual ceremony.

Dr Pandey also inaugurated an exhibition on ‘Products Developed under Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ organised at BHEL’s Hyderabad unit. In addition, an audio-visual presentation was made on the ‘Unsung Heroes of the Indian Freedom Struggle’ belonging to the Telangana Region. BHEL employees joined the programme virtually.

The Minister said that one of the important goals of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision is to build a self-reliant nation. The role of the manufacturing sector will be crucial in this. The capital goods industry is the backbone of the manufacturing sector. As announced by our Hon’ble Prime Minister, in the recently concluded COP26 meeting, BHEL — as the largest engineering and manufacturing enterprise — will have to play an important role.

Dr Nalin Shinghal, CMD, BHEL, while enumerating the initiatives undertaken by BHEL during the ‘AKAM Iconic Week’ celebrations, thanked the Ministry of Heavy Industries and the Government for supporting BHEL. He said that R&D has always been one of BHEL’s core strengths and the organisation is focussed on playing a role to achieve the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).

Notably, the 0.25 TPD capacity CTM pilot plant, indigenously designed, developed and installed by BHEL, is currently producing methanol with a purity of more than 99 per cent from high ash Indian coals. This conversion of high ash coals to methanol through gasification is the first of its kind technology demonstration in India.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/