Insufficient Adoption of Emission Control Technology in Indian Coal Plants

A recent analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has revealed that less than eight percent of India’s coal-based power plants have adopted the recommended technology to control sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. The technology, Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) units, is crucial for reducing SO2 emissions, and India is the world’s largest emitter of SO2.

Key Findings

1. Low Adoption of FGD Units: Only 16.5 Gigawatts (GW) of coal plants in India have installed FGDs and Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion (CFBC) boilers, equivalent to 5.9 GW. This accounts for less than eight percent of the country’s coal power plants.
2. Overall Emission Status: India is the largest emitter of SO2 globally, and 92 percent of the country’s coal power plants operate without FGDs.
3. Delay in Technology Adoption: Since December 2022, only 3.2 GW capacity has installed SO2 control technologies, indicating a slow adoption rate.
4. Regulatory Challenges: The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air points out that blanket extensions of deadlines for coal power plants, without adequate progress checks by regulatory bodies, have contributed to the delay in emission controls.
5. Categorization and Deadlines: Plants in Category A (within a 10-kilometer radius of NCR and cities with a million-plus population) and Category B (within a 10-kilometer radius of critically polluted areas) have shorter deadlines. However, the majority of the country’s power plants fall under Category C, with longer deadlines. As of October 2023, FGD installations were completed for 2.6 GW, and bids were issued for 3.4 GW capacity within the 300 km radius of Delhi-NCR.
6. NTPC’s Status: The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has installed FGDs for only 3.6 GW out of its total monitored capacity of 56.3 GW.
7. Continuous Deadline Extensions: Multiple deadline extensions, regulatory concerns, and challenges in the bidding process have contributed to delays in technology adoption.
8. Emission Levels: Despite FGD installations, emissions from some plants, such as Delhi’s Dadri thermal power plant, indicate challenges with efficiency, compatibility, or continuous operation of the technology.

Recommendations

The findings suggest a need for more stringent enforcement of emission control measures and a reassessment of the regulatory framework. The report emphasizes the importance of transparency in the bidding process and highlights challenges associated with the efficiency of FGD installations. Addressing these issues is crucial for achieving emission reduction goals and improving air quality in India.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2023

Category: Environment Current Affairs