19 January 2016 PA-CN/16/01
Australian Energy and Resource Technologies to be Made in India
“An Australian company has forged an important new partnership under Indian Prime Minister Modi's 'Make in India' initiative to deliver unique Australian technologies which enable India’s abundant lignite coal to be used for electricity and steel production, while at the same time minimising CO2 emissions,” the Australian Consul-General to South India, Mr Sean Kelly, announced today.
Mr Kelly made the comment after witnessing the signing of the Tripartite Collaboration Agreement between Australia’s Environmental Clean Technologies (ECT) Limited, the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) and National Minerals Development Corporation (NMDC) at the Neyveli corporate offices in Tamil Nadu on 19 January 2016. The Neyveli site sits astride much of India’s 40+ billion tons of reserves of low rank lignite coal.
Under the Agreement, ECT, NLC and NMDC will jointly build an integrated ‘Coldry’ low rank coal drying demonstration plant and a ‘Matmor’ pilot iron ore plant as a launch pad for a global commercial roll-out of the technology. ‘Coldry’ is a low-cost, low-heat, carbon-neutral drying process which can reduce the moisture content from 60% to 12% and convert the lignite coal into pellets, making it suitable for high efficiency generation purposes and safe to transport. ‘Matmor’ is a process for producing crude steel using the upgraded coal from the Coldry process. The project will also upgrade some of the Neyveli mine’s 25 million ton per annum output of low rank coal to support a 2.8GW power station.
“This exciting Australian innovation further reinforces Australia’s position as India’s pre-eminent energy partner,” Mr Kelly said, “while at the same time helping India reduce the carbon intensity of its rapidly growing steel industry that depends on coal.”
“It is also a tangible example of the scope for Australians to bring their world-class technological innovations to India, adapting the technology to suit local requirements and working alongside Indian partners, resonating with Indian Government's ‘Make in India’ initiative” Mr Kelly said.