In a recent letter written to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Union power ministry has sought a two-year extension for thermal power plants to install FGDs which are equipment that control toxic sulphur dioxide emissions from plants.Nagpur: After missing previous deadlines twice for installing flue-gas desulphurization (FGD), which is a pollution-controlling technology, the coal-fired power plants in the country are once again pushing for delaying its installation.
In a recent letter written to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Union power ministry has sought a two-year extension for thermal power plants to install FGDs which are equipment that control toxic sulphur dioxide emissions from plants.
Seven years after the guidelines first came into place, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has now suggested extension of the deadline till 2035.
Cities like Nagpur and Chandrapur in Vidarbha region where many coal-fired power plants are located will have to live with pollution for the next several years.
Citing reasons behind seeking the extension, the power ministry highlighted the recommendations put forth by CEA which stated that prices quoted by the bidders for FGDs were escalating due to huge gap in demand and supply.
“Initially, the CEA had informed that the project cost for wet lime-based FGD technology was Rs 0.39 crore per megawatt (MW). At present, the cost has reached Rs 1.14 crore per MW, which is nearly three times of the initial cost,” the ministry wrote.
Adding that the process of planning and tendering was adversely affected during the Covid pandemic, the ministry also stressed on the poor financial conditions of the discoms. “The recent geo-political conditions have also affected the import of certain components of FGDs which are not manufactured in India,” it stated.
The power plants have already missed two extended deadlines of 2017 and 2022. “The power ministry asking for time till 2035 for implementing the norms at about 80% of India’s installed coal-based capacity shows their lack of willingness to do anything to reduce emissions and pollution from thermal power plants,” said Sunil Dahiya, analyst at Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
According to Dahiya, by 2035, most of the coal-based power plants will be “nearing their retirement after outliving their financial life of 20-25 years and wouldn’t eventually need to install FGD”.
“The MoEFCC, being the guardian of air and environment, should penalize officers at the power ministry for suggesting such illogical extensions and must stick to strict timelines,” added Dahiya.
Apart from extension in deadlines, norms for nitrogen dioxide and water consumption limit too have been diluted. TOI recently reported how coal-fired power plants in the country are posing threat to public health.
Latest analysis done by Germany-based research organization New Climate Institute stated that 85,000 pre-mature deaths can be avoided in India by not building more coal power plants.
IN A NUTSHELL
FGD is technology to control toxic SO2 emission from coal-fired power plants.
MoEFCC first notified emission standards for SO2 and other emissions in December 2015
Power plants across the country failed to install FGDs by the 2017 deadline
Also missed second deadline of 2019 for Delhi-NCR plants & staggered deadline running till 2022 for plants in other parts of the country
In March 2021, revised deadlines extending till 2025 depending on the categories of power plants were granted
Power ministry now seeking further extension of 2 years
CEA recommends extension till 2035
