Less than 8% of India’s coal power plants can control SO2 emissions, a new analysis finds

Less than eight per cent of India’s coal-based power plants have installed the technology recommended by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to keep sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions in check, an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has found.

Flue Gas Desulfurisation (FGD) units are used to remove sulphur compounds from the exhaust emissions of power plants. India is the largest emitter of SO2 in the world, according to a 2019 Greenpeace study.

In fact, across India, only a combined capacity of 16.5 Gigawatts (GW) of coal plants have installed FGDs and Circulating Fluidised Bed Combustion (CFBC) boilers equivalent to 5.9 GW. 

The CREA analysis found that 92 per cent of the country’s coal power plants function without FGDs. Since December 2022, only 3.2 GW capacity has installed SO2 control technologies, the analysis revealed.

Eight years ago, the MoEF&CC introduced emission standards in 2015 for regulating SO2, NOx (nitrogen oxides), and Hg (mercury) emissions. The deadline has been extended four times for units in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) and three times for most other units across the country.

“Blanket extension of the deadline for all coal power plants without checking on their progress by MoEF&CC and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) played a major role in derailment of emission controls from coal-based electricity generation units,” Sunil Dahiya, South Asia Analyst at CREA said in a statement.

In 2021, the MoEF&CC divided the categories of coal-power plants based on geography to enforce deadlines. Category A is demarcated to coal-based power plants within a 10-kilometre radius of the NCR and of cities with a million-plus population. Category B is within a 10 km radius of critically polluted areas or non-attainment cities, and Category C is the remaining plants throughout the country.

Interestingly, the majority of the country’s power plants belong to Category C, with the longest deadlines. The deadlines for plants within the city are shorter due to high pollution levels that could harm people.

As of October 2023, for power plant units in the 300 km radius of Delhi-NCR, FGD installations have been completed for 2.6 GW installed capacity of the cumulative capacity of 13.4 GW. Bids have been issued for 3.4 GW capacity.

Sector-wise FGD status of coal-based electricity generation units in India in MW as of October 2023

Source: CEA

What of NTPC?

Of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)’s total 56.3 GW coal capacity monitored by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) for FGD installation, only 3.6 GW has been installed with FGDs as of October 2023, the study stated.

The NTPC, CEA and Central Pollution Control Board have stipulated a timeline of 18-36 months for installation and synchronisation of FGDs from the bid-award date. For the whole country, by December 2020, 66.5 GW capacity had already been awarded the bids, but most of this capacity had been not commissioned for FGD installation.

“NTPC is a clear example that showed ambition and leadership initially by awarding bids for most of its capacity but no progress and no penalisation of others who didn’t move on the pathway to installing FGD and repeated extensions have slowed NTPC down as well,” Dahiya explained in a statement.

According to a recent analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), because of multiple deadline extensions, the plants may not violate the norms. But their emissions, especially for SO2, are much higher than the prescribed limit.

As of December 2023, the new deadlines are:

● December 31, 2024, for power plant units within a 10 km radius of Delhi-NCR and million-plus cities. Extended from the earlier date of December 2022; 

● December 31, 2025, for power plant units within a 10 km radius of critically polluted cities. Extended from the earlier date of December 31, 2023;

● December 31, 2026, for all other power plant units across the country. Extended from the earlier date of December 31, 2024;

Anubha Aggarwal, programme officer, Industrial Pollution, CSE, New Delhi told Down to Earth: “The deadline is always being pushed on flimsy grounds. First, they had regulatory concerns and cost issues, followed by COVID-19 and barriers to import from China. Overall, it shows an unwillingness and reluctance. Adding to this is the lack of transparency in how the deals transpire during and after bidding.”

However, even after installing and operationalising the FGD instrument, Delhi’s Dadri thermal power plant SO2 emissions are on the higher side. It means the FGD is not technically compatible with the plant’s capacity or is not running continuously alongside the plant, Aggarwal said.

Despite having a mandatory feasibility test before installation, there is the possibility of challenges with efficiency, Aggarwal added.

India’s energy generation installed capacity stands at 425 GW. The thermal sector holds a predominant position within the overall installed capacity, encompassing coal (48.6 per cent), gas (5.9 per cent), lignite (1.6 per cent), and a minimal share (<0.2 per cent) from diesel, according to the 2023 CEA report.