Foundation stone laid for BCGCL Coal-to-Ammonium Nitrate project at Lakhanpur, Odisha
Key facts
- The President and PM laid the foundation stone on 20 June 2026 at Lakhanpur, Jharsuguda district, Odisha.
- BCGCL is a joint venture of Coal India (51%) and BHEL (49%).
- It will make about 0.66 million tonnes a year of technical grade ammonium nitrate from coal.
- The project costs over ₹25,000 crore and targets commissioning by September 2029.
Why it matters
[First] It is India's first commercial-scale coal-to-ammonium nitrate project. It falls under the National Coal Gasification Mission. Gasification turns coal into chemicals instead of burning it.