India is on the verge of launching its first underground coal gasification (UCG) facility, with commercial output expected around September 2026, local media reported.

The pilot project at the Kasta West coal block in West Burdwan district, West Bengal, has entered its final trial run, which is expected to continue for the next three months. The project's operator, Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), described the upcoming launch as a significant step for the country's clean energy efforts.

The trial stage is already in progress and will pave the way for commercial operations, according to ECL Chairman and Managing Director Satish Chandra Jha. The central government had allocated the project to ECL, a Coal India subsidiary, which aims to convert deep, unmineable coal reserves into usable industrial gases without extraction.

Jha indicated that once commercial production begins around September, ECL could emerge as a notable contributor to India's energy transition. While the Coal Ministry has set a production target of 56 million tonnes, ECL has raised its own goal to 62 million tonnes. He also pointed out that illegal mining across ECL's leasehold areas in the state has nearly halted following the recent change in state government.

Meanwhile, Jha noted that ECL is also working on a surface coal gasification project at Sonepur Bazari, though it is likely a year away from readiness. That project, a collaboration between Coal India and GAIL, involves an investment of roughly Rs 13,052.8 crore ($1.36 billion) and is designed to produce synthetic natural gas.