The Ministry of Coal on Saturday rejected reports that the Centre’s coal gasification incentive scheme had failed to attract applicants, saying Talcher Fertilisers Ltd (TFL) and NTPC Ltd have already submitted their applications ahead of the September 7 deadline.

“Based on discussions with stakeholders, the Ministry has been informed that TFL and NTPC Ltd have already submitted their respective applications through the online portal. This itself demonstrates that the assertion that the scheme has received ‘no takers’ is factually incorrect,” the ministry said in a statement.

The Union Cabinet had on May 13 approved a ₹37,500 crore package aimed at promoting surface coal and lignite gasification in the country. The request for proposal (RfP) was subsequently issued, with the current application window closing on September 7.

TFL, a joint venture involving Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers, Coal India, GAIL and Fertiliser Corporation of India, is already implementing a coal-based ammonia-urea gasification complex in Talcher, Odisha. The project has an estimated investment of ₹13,277 crore and is expected to be commissioned in FY28.

The ministry said several other prospective applicants are also in communication with it, with their projects at various stages of preparation and application finalisation.

To facilitate participation in capital-intensive gasification projects, the government has adopted a rolling-round mechanism for applications. Once the current application window closes, the next round will open the following day and remain available for two months.

“The rolling-round mechanism has been deliberately incorporated in view of the substantial preparation and investment requirements associated with large-scale coal/lignite gasification projects,” the ministry said.