The main focus of the Clean Coal Research Initiative is to utilise indigenous fuel in clean and  efficient way for reducing thecarbon footprint. The areas included  are coal excavation, washing & purification and transportation, conversion of coal to power and chemicals through combustion, Advanced Ultra Super Critical (AUSC) technology and controlling other emission including handling of waste water generated during the entire operation chain, as well as developing enabling technologies namely coating, welding, machining and new materials for High Performance Power Generating Systems (HPPGS).

1. Clean Coal Research and Development (CCORD)

 Clean coal R&D covers a spectrum of multidisciplinary science and technology programmes to achieve high efficiencies and lesser impact on local and global environment.

CCORD  was launched in February, 2016. The objective of the initiative is to go into a regime of deep cuts in emissions of conventional pollutant and to develop technologies using which indigenous coal can be exploited.

2. National Centres for Clean Coal Research & Development 

DST has set up a National Centre for Clean Coal Research and Development (NCCCR&D) as a national level consortium on clean coal R&D, led by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)-Bengaluru. The Centre is pursuing research in clean coal domain, which could potentially be game changer for meeting the energy needs of the country in terms of higher efficiency and capacity at lower operating costs and size and would result in research, development and demonstration of state-of-art tools, products and processes which are of critical importance for our energy security.

DST setup another National Centre for Development of Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Processes for Clean Coal Technologies for Power Applicationsat International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad. The centre researches on the development of enabling processing and fabrication technologies namely, coating, welding, machining and new materials for the High Performance Power Generating Systems (HPPGS) in coal based power Plants.

3. Advanced Ultra Super Critical (AUSC) Programme

DST’s programme on Advanced Ultra Super Critical Mission aims at improving the efficiency of existing thermal plants significantly. The material developed indigenously is proposed to be tried out in existing thermal power plants at pressures and temperature nearing supercritical conditions. Besides AUSC Mission, DST has also supported several projects on utilization of Indian coal in environment friendly efficient manner.