Plant view Inauguration of the first unit of 600 MW Haldia Thermal Power Plant at Haldia Purba Madinipur, West Bengal on 26 November 2014. Photo credit: The Hindu
A study has found that not a single coal-based thermal power plant in West Bengal has installed flue gas desulfurization (FDG), a technology to eliminate sulfur compounds from exhaust emissions.
Plants that contribute 40% of the coal-based power generation capacity in the state are yet to be awarded contracts for FDG units, while the remaining power generation facilities were not able to complete installation of the technology within the allotted time frame, said an analysis by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent research organization.
The total coal-based power generation capacity of the plants in the state is 13,686 megawatts (MW). None of the large power grid-connected plants have installed FGD units or Direct Sorbent Injection (DSI) technology to control sulfur dioxide emissions.
Units with a capacity to generate 7,480 MW of power in West Bengal have been awarded contracts for setting up FGDs. Units with a capacity of 510 MW have been identified as units that will “retire” in the next few years and are exempted from the FGD requirement. This shows that units contributing 5,695 MW (40% of the total capacity) are yet to take any serious steps to control sulfur dioxide emissions, despite notification in December 2015.
Coal consumption for grid-connected electricity generation in West Bengal is set to increase from 44 metric tonnes (MT) in 2015 to 54 MT in 2021, and the state’s reliance on dirty coal energy poses serious health risks to the population of West Bengal. facing, the study said. Both state-run power plants and private sector power generation units have avoided installing retrofits to control sulfur dioxide emissions.
While no private power plant has awarded contracts to install FDG technology even seven years after the emission norms came into force, the lack of commitment by state government agencies to reduce pollution emissions is evident from the fact that the plant has 3,070 Contributing MW. 3,970 MW capacity under the state sector has not awarded contracts for FGD installation.
The country’s first emission norms to control sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and mercury from coal-fired power plants were notified in December 2015 and since then the deadline for installation of pollution control devices has been extended thrice by the Ministry of Environment, Forests Has gone and climate change.
“While there is a lack of seriousness to control pollution at source from power generation stations by all state, central and private entities in West Bengal, coal consumption for grid-connected power generation units is on the rise, which is contributing to the rising emission load and There is a sign of contribution in the air. pollution from the power sector,” said Sunil Dahiya, an analyst at CREA and author of the report.
A press statement issued by CREA explains that when coal and other fossil fuels with an inherent sulfur component are burned, a reactive gas called sulfur dioxide is released.
“A significant portion of the overall particulate matter (PM) concentration in ambient air is made up of secondary particles, which are formed when sulfur dioxide combines with other pollutants. The well-known hazardous particulate matter PM2.5 kills millions of people every year globally and in India. Controlling sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants at source would significantly reduce the overall amount of air pollution in the state and beyond,” the statement said.
The CERA report found that sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants could be reduced by up to 86% in some units, highlighting the urgency of installing emission control devices at these power generating stations.
Data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) shows that by February 2021, 600 units are expected to contribute to the country’s total thermal power of 211.6 GW (gigawatts); Only 20 units contributing 8.2 GW have installed FDGs.