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INDIAN SCENARIO

Indian Oil and Gas Sector has a good R&D track record for improving upon the imported
technologies as well as developing technologies which could compete with the best available
in the world. Also our Universities, Research Institutes and IITs are able to conceptualize and
demonstrate novel technologies in laboratory scale. However, the main problem is the proper
integration between different groups for the complex multidisciplinary projects. We need to
establish mission oriented projects with full thrust and commitment from all stakeholders. An
overview of Indian R&D in Oil and Gas Sector and the different ongoing projects is available
in a recently published report [87]. It is seen that Indian R&D groups in the Oil and Gas Sector
are working in almost all contemporary areas related to low carbon energy.

We have seen that several technologies are available for gasification for pulverized coal. Among
them Entrained bed or fluid bed gasifiers are gaining popularity because these gasifiers can
deliver clean tar free syngas. With this experience of handling of high ash coal gasification, it
may be possible to design a medium capacity demonstration plant for syngas and methanol/
DME production. The ash fusion point could be manipulated and the ash content could be
moderated by adding petcoke with high ash coal.

4.5.1

NEW DEMONSTRATION PLANT DESIGN
In view of the recent developments in syngas, methanol and DME production, particularly on
the feedstock selection, technology and syngas conversion we need to build and operate few
demonstration plants to develop indigenous capability. In all these three areas as well as catalyst
development for different chemical conversion processes, there are significant developments
in recent times. In this section an attempt has been made to identify few promising areas and
where Indian R & D has the capability to design suitable demonstration plants.

4.5.1.1

BIOMASS TO METHANOL/DME
With India’s experience in biomass combustion and the information available from the technology
suppliers for gasification and gas cleaning, it is possible to design and operate a demonstration
plant in India via gasification with oxygen and subsequent methanol/DME production. This
plant could be designed with maximum possible flexibility as regards feedstocks, so that varied
types of feedstocks could be tested and operating issues and economics could be estimated
for different feedstocks.

4.5.1.2
PLASMA GASIFICATION OF BIOMASS

India already has some experience in operating a plasma gasifier for power generation from
MSW with air for gasification. At present the syngas from this plasma gasifier is further burnt
to generate power. It may not be difficult to design a suitable capacity demonstration plant for
production of syngas for methanol/DME using oxygen as the oxidizing medium. During design
stage, flexibility could be ensured so that any type of available feedstock can be tested. Indian
capability for designing plasma arc furnace could be used to develop the design, else the
gasifier can be imported.

74 Methanol and DME Production: Survey and Roadmap | 2017