Coal gasification is a thermochemical process in which coal or other carbonaceous feedstocks are converted — through controlled partial oxidation at high temperatures — into a combustible synthetic gas mixture, commonly known as syngas, comprising primarily carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H₂), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and methane (CH₄). While coal gasification is not a core process in bauxite, gold, iron ore, or diamond mining operations per se, it has significant relevance in certain energy-intensive mining contexts. In remote mining regions where grid electricity is unavailable or expensive, coal gasification can serve as an on-site power generation solution. For iron ore processing, coal gasification is directly relevant to the direct reduction iron (DRI) and smelting reduction processes, where syngas is used as a reducing agent to convert iron ore into iron without conventional blast furnace technology. The resulting syngas can also be used to generate steam and electricity for mineral processing operations. Modern integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) systems offer efficiency gains and reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional coal combustion, making gasification a technology of interest in the context of mining industry decarbonisation efforts.
