Surroundings Ministry should roll again order on desulphurising coal vegetation: examine

Smoke rises from a coal-powered metal plant at Hehal village close to Ranchi. File
| Picture Credit score: AP

The Union Surroundings Ministry ought to roll again its 2015 coverage mandating all of India’s 537 coal-fired vegetation to put in a category of kit known as Flue Gasoline Desulphurisation (FGD) so as to scale back sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions. As an alternative, it ought to solely apply to these vegetation utilizing imported coal or excessive (>0.5%) sulphur coal, a examine commissioned by the Workplace of the Principal Scientific Adviser, and executed by the Nationwide Institute of Superior Research (NIAS), Bengaluru, has discovered.

Though coal-fired vegetation have been to have put in FGD by 2018, solely 8% of the vegetation have put in the tools after the Surroundings Ministry prolonged deadlines. As of now, compliance has been pushed to 2027, 2028, and 2029, respectively, relying on the class of the thermal energy plant.

At present, 230 thermal energy vegetation are in varied phases of putting in FGD, and 260 haven’t but positioned an order. It’s estimated, in response to the Central Electrical energy Authority, that FGD prices ₹1.2 crore per MW to put in. India has an put in coal capability of 218,000 MW, which is anticipated to rise to 283,000 GW by 2032.

The rationale underlying the NIAS evaluation is that 92% of the coal utilized in Indian vegetation has low sulphur content material (0.3%-0.5%). Norms mandated by the Central Air pollution Management Board requiring that the stack heights (exhaust columns) within the thermal energy vegetation be a minimal 220 metres, coupled with “Indian weather conditions”, ensured that SO2 emissions didn’t threaten native air high quality. A examine by the Indian Institute of Expertise (IIT)-Delhi in 2024, which the NIAS examine references, discovered that ‘acid rain’, probably the most seen consequence of excessive SO2 emissions, “was not a big concern” in India.

Furthermore, putting in FGD in all vegetation would enhance energy consumption in addition to freshwater consumption within the vegetation, leading to a further 69 million tonnes of CO2 (2025-30), whereas lowering SO2 emissions by 17 million tonnes. The examine argues for SO2 emissions, citing an Intergovernmental Panel on Local weather Change evaluation as having “masked” international warming by 0.5C from 2010-2019 relative to 1850-1900. “Due to this fact, including extra long-lived CO2 emissions whereas eradicating short-lived SO2 emissions by putting in FGDs indiscriminately in all TPP in India regardless of the low sulphur content material of Indian coal will improve international warming,” the NIAS examine underlines. The report was authored by R. Srikanth, A.V. Krishnan, and Dizna James, on the NIAS.

The examine recommends that as a substitute of SO2, efforts be made to handle particulate matter (PM) air pollution that consequence from these vegetation, notably due to the excessive ash content material of Indian coal. Putting in electrostatic precipitators developed by Bharat Heavy Electricals Restricted, a public sector firm, would price solely ₹25 lakh per MW, in comparison with the ₹1.2 crore from FGD, and scale back PM air pollution by 99%, the examine claims. “Controlling PM emissions from TPP [thermal power plants] stacks at this stage will make the utmost impression on air air pollution from TPPs even with out FGD,” the examine underlined.

“The Surroundings Ministry’s coverage on the FGD was a mistake, however there’s now sufficient proof to again it up. It’s time that the coverage is rolled again,” Dr. Srikanth advised The Hindu.

The findings of the examine have been shared with the Workplace of the Principal Scientific Adviser in November 2024, Dr. Srikanth mentioned. The Hindu reached out to the Workplace of the Principal Scientific Adviser for remark however didn’t hear again until the time of going to press.