Central scientific committee says sulphur-cleaning machine in most coal vegetation ‘not mandatory’

A high-powered committee of specialists, chaired by Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) Ajay Sood, has beneficial that India get rid of a decade-long coverage of mandating gear, referred to as Flu Fuel Desulphurisation (FGD) items, in all coal-fired thermal energy vegetation (TPPs), in response to paperwork perused by The Hindu.

These FGD items are required to be retro-fitted in TPPs to chop dangerous sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions. Whereas 92% of India’s 600 TPPs haven’t but put in FGD items, the advice would exempt about 80% of them from needing to put in such gear.

The restricted variety of distributors able to putting in such gear in India, the excessive set up prices, the potential rise in electrical energy payments, and disruptions because of the COVID-19 pandemic have been a few of the causes traditionally cited by the Energy Ministry, the overseer of India’s TPPs, for vegetation’ incapacity to stick to earlier deadlines. In idea, the prices of non-compliance might run to crores of rupees in fines, although these haven’t materialised because of deadline extensions.

‘FGD not mandatory’

Nevertheless, this was the primary time that a number of arms of the federal government congregated to deliberate on whether or not FGDs have been required within the first place. Their verdict attracts on three reviews by the CSIR-NEERI, the Nationwide Institute of Superior Research, and the Indian Institute of Expertise, Delhi. The lead scientists of those three establishments – every “supported” by totally different arms of the federal government – have been on the assembly on April 23, together with representatives from the Workplace of the PSA, the Union Energy Ministry, and the NITI Ayog. They have been all largely unanimous that FGD “was not mandatory.”

The guiding rules informing the committee’s suggestion are that: SO2 ranges in ambient air throughout the nation are round 10-20 micrograms/cubic metre, properly under India’s air high quality norms of 80; Indian coal is low in sulphur; SO2 ranges in cities close to vegetation with operational FGD items don’t differ considerably from these with out these items, and all of those have been anyway properly under permissible ranges.

The committee opined that issues about sulphates – a possible by-product when SO2 emissions attain sure atmospheric ranges, thus forming particulate matter (PM) – are unfounded. They cited an evaluation of 5,792 PM samples throughout the nation, which discovered “low elemental sulphur” content material (max 8 micrograms/m3 after outlier elimination) which was deemed “insignificant — for contemplating PM elimination as a good thing about FGD.”

FGDs could worsen carbon emissions

One argument talked about within the report was that utilizing FGDs would possibly lead to extra carbon dioxide emissions and intensify world warming. “Putting in FGDs in all TPPs by 2030 will enhance the Auxiliary Energy Consumption (APC) of the TPPs, thereby including roughly 69 million tons of CO2 emissions to the ambiance (2025-30) whereas lowering SO2 emissions by —17 million tons. Including extra long-lived CO2 emissions whereas eradicating short-lived SO2 emissions by putting in FGDs indiscriminately in all TPPs in India regardless of the low Sulphur content material of Indian coal will improve world warming.”

Alternatively, on condition that burning coal is India’s major supply of electrical energy, India’s annual SO2 emissions has risen from 4,000 kilotonnes in 2010 to six,000 kilotonnes in 2022. By comparability, Indonesia, a supply of imported coal to India has averaged about 2,000 kt in the identical interval, in response to knowledge from the Centre for Analysis on Power and Clear Air (CREA), a Helsinki-based suppose tank. That is when India’s emission requirements, at 100 micrograms/m3 (thus requiring FGD), is decrease than Indonesia’s 800.

Surroundings Ministry ‘learning’ order

Those that attended the assembly included the Secretary, Minister of Energy and three different senior officers; Secretary, Surroundings and Forests and two different officers; 4 officers of the Workplace of the PSA; representatives of the NITI Ayog, Central Electrical energy Authority (the facility regulator), Central Air pollution Management Board, and academicians.

An in depth questionnaire to the Energy Ministry was unanswered till press time. Tanmay Kumar, Secretary, Surroundings Ministry, advised The Hindu that his Ministry was “learning” the order.

India has 180 coal-fired thermal energy vegetation, every of them with a number of items. The 600 TPPs, relying on their measurement, age, proximity to densely populous cities, and background air pollution ranges, got totally different timelines by the Surroundings Ministry to adjust to the FGD set up necessities. Deadlines have been shifted thrice, with the latest extension approaching Dec 31, 2024.

Main inhabitants centres

The committee, in response to the minutes of the assembly seen by The Hindu, will “suggest” to the Energy and Surroundings Ministers that solely energy vegetation situated inside a 10-km radius of the Nationwide Capital Area and different cities with a million-plus inhabitants be required to put in FGDs. These are referred to as Class A vegetation. There are 66 such vegetation, and solely 14 of them have put in FGDs. At present, all these vegetation are required to conform by 2027.

Vegetation inside a 10-km radius of ‘Critically Polluted Cities’ or ‘Non Attainment Cities’, referred to as Class B vegetation, could be eligible for exemption on a “case by case” foundation, on a joint overview by the Central Electrical energy Authority or Central Air pollution Management Board. There are 72 such vegetation, with solely 4 having put in FGD. These vegetation at the moment have a deadline of 2028.

The remaining 462 vegetation all come beneath Class C, of which 32 have put in FGDs. These vegetation have been given a 2029 deadline, however the committee has now beneficial that Class C vegetation be exempted utterly, together with some items in Classes A and B which have been arrange at the least 20 years in the past.

‘Won’t have an effect on public well being’

“The important thing widespread level in these research is that fitment of FGDs in all TPPs in India just isn’t essential to adjust to the NAAQ (Nationwide Ambient Air High quality) requirements whose compliance is crucial to safeguard public well being. Whereas all TPPs should adjust to the December 2015 stack emission requirements for PM air pollution and freshwater consumption, the SO2 stack emission requirements may be relaxed to make sure that they’re in conformance with the NAAQ requirements that are notified by CPCB, protecting in thoughts the human well being and different facets. This fashion, TPPs might be able to adjust to these requirements with out becoming FGDs. For the reason that current NAAQ requirements (for ambient SO2) should be complied with, this variation is not going to have an effect on human well being in India,” the committee concludes.

At present, State governments or affiliated corporations run a majority of the Class A TPPs, whereas personal authorities maintain the best share in Classes B and C.