The Abhijeet Group, which has joined hands with a Canadian company, is looking to pocket a mining deal in Jharkhand's Ramgarh region where it decides to set up an eco-friendly and economic technique of coal extraction known as Energy Coal Gasification Technology or UCG.

The Coal Mining and Planning Development of India (CMPDI), an undertaking of Coal India Limited (CIL), had sought expression of interest from firms for UCG for the Kaitha coal block located in Ramgarh region.

Mr. A. K. Srivastav, director Abhijeet Group, said, "We are making efforts to get the coal block for UCG as we are the first Indian company having this technology for commercial purpose. We have tied up with Ergo Energy Technology Inc of Canada which has expertise in commercial utilization of UCG."

Mr. Srivastav was in Ranchi to meet CMPDI functionaries to get the coal block.

Under UCG technology, the coal that cannot be extracted after a certain depth get utilized and meant for commercial purposes for the power and steel segment.

According to Srivastav, "In India only 21 percent reserve of coal is extractable by the present mining technologies, and this way coal reserves of around 75 million tonnes cannot be extracted as they are below 300 metres. Under UCG technology, the coal mining cost reduces by 37 percent."

He said, "If we get the coal block then Abhijeet Group will be the first company in the country to utilize UCG technology for commercial purposes."

"The UCG technology offers solution to safe, environment friendly and economic mining of coal reserves which otherwise are not mineable by conventional mining methods," he added. (With Input from Agencies)