On 20 June 2026, the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi virtually laid the foundation stone of Bharat Coal Gasification & Chemicals Limited (BCGCL) at Lakhanpur in Jharsuguda district, Odisha. The coal-to-ammonium-nitrate project marks a historic step towards India's goals of energy security, technological self-reliance and sustainable use of domestic coal resources. The event was attended by the Governor of Odisha, the Chief Minister, the Union Coal and Mines Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy, and other dignitaries. BCGCL is a joint venture between Coal India Limited (CIL) holding 51% and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) holding 49%. Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), a CIL subsidiary, is contributing around 350 acres of coal-bearing land at Lakhanpur and will meet the project's coal requirement by supplying 0.79 MTPA washed coal and 1.19 MTPA rejected coal from its Ib Valley Washery. The project aims to produce about 0.66 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of technical-grade ammonium nitrate through coal gasification using the indigenously developed Pressurized Fluidized Bed Gasification (PFBG) technology. Developed with an estimated investment of over Rs 25,000 crore, the project has received single-window clearance from Odisha's High-Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) and a Rs 1,350 crore financial incentive from the Ministry of Coal. Aligned with the National Coal Gasification Mission, the project is targeted for commissioning by September 2029.