In a time when the government is betting big on alternative fuel and is pushing Electric Vehicles (EVs), Coal India (CIL) has aimed to produce 0.67 million tonne of methanol per annum to boost clean energy initiatives. Recently, the Centre eased norms for CIL to extract natural gas and Coal Bed Methane (CBM) from coal seams, whereas earlier, CIL had to apply for licence to the Oil and Natural Gas Ministry to extract CBM from its coal seams. Besides, CIL is also planning to setup a coal-based methanol plant at Dankuni Coal Complex (DCC) of South Eastern Coalfields (SECL). Anil Kumar Jha, Chairman, CIL believes that the methanol which will be produced at the DCC will be most likely to find a definitive market in the eastern states, once the government's policy of blending methanol with petrol comes into practice.