India’s coal power plants can control SO2 emissions

Context:

• A recent analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has revealed that less than 8% of India’s coal power plants have implemented the recommended technology to reduce Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) emissions, as advised by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
• India was found to be the top producer of SO2 globally, as stated in a Greenpeace study conducted in 2019.

Key points:

• According to a study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), only 16.5 GW of coal plants in India have installed FGDs and CFBC boilers, which is equivalent to 5.9 GW. 
• The analysis also found that 92% of the country’s coal power plants do not have FGDs. 
• The extension of the deadline for implementing emission controls by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has contributed to the lack of progress in reducing emissions from coal-based electricity generation. 
• Emission standards were introduced in 2015 for regulating various emissions from coal plants. 
• The deadline for compliance has been extended multiple times for different regions. India’s total energy generation capacity is 425 GW, with coal holding the largest share at 48.6%.

What are the methods and technologies available for reducing SO2 emissions?

Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD):

• FGD is a method used to eliminate sulphur compounds from the exhaust emissions of power stations that use fossil fuels. 
• This is achieved by adding substances that can remove up to 95% of the sulphur dioxide from the flue gas. 
• Flue gas refers to the substance released when fossil fuels like coal, oil, natural gas, or wood are burned to produce heat or energy.

Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion (CFBC):

• The CFBC Boiler is a power facility that helps reduce the release of harmful pollutants by using a combination of air and lime during the burning process. 
• It achieves this by fluidizing a bed of solid particles, causing them to behave like a fluid. 
• This transformation from a static to dynamic state helps in reducing the discharge of pollutants.

What are the different types of power plants that can install FGD systems?

• In 2021, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) categorised coal-power plants based on their location to impose deadlines. 
  • Category A includes plants near the National Capital Region and cities with a population of over one million. 
  • Category B includes plants near highly polluted areas or cities that have not met air quality standards. 
  • Category C includes all other plants in the country, which have the longest deadlines. 
    • Most of the country’s power plants fall under Category C.

Way Ahead:

• Give priority and speed up the installation of FGD technology in coal-based power plants. Promote and reward the use of this technology to ensure that emission standards set by the MoEF&CC are met.
• Encourage power plants to adopt CFBC technology and promote its wider use for environmental sustainability. 
• Improve regulatory mechanisms to monitor and enforce emission standards, imposing strict penalties for non-compliance. 
• Invest in research and development to explore and implement advanced technologies that surpass current standards. 
• Foster innovation in clean energy solutions and emission control technologies to achieve greater sustainability in coal-based power generation.

Source: DTE

Practice question:

Q. The ‘Common Carbon Metric’, supported by UNEP, has been developed for

1. assessing the carbon footprint of around the world
2. enabling commercial farming entities around the world to enter carbon emission trading
3. enabling governments to assess the overall carbon footprint caused by their countries
4. assessing the overall carbon foot- print caused by the use of fossil fuels by the world in a unit time

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