Asia’s largest opencast lignite mines at Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, formed 50-70 million years ago, says new study

Asia’s largest opencast lignite mines at Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, formed 50-70 million years ago, says new study

Research Matters Staff Writer(s) Chennai 24 Mar 2025 Lignite, also called brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible sedimentary rock formed from compacted peat. It has a low carbon content and energy value compared to other types of coal, like bituminous coal or anthracite and is primarily used for electricity generation. In 1934, a lignite deposit was accidentally discovered when a “brown substance” mixed with water gushed out from an artesian …