Lok Sabha Question No. 3780 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-08
Subject: Environmental Performance of Thermal Power Plants
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: POONAM  MAHAJAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3780

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.12.2016

## ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF THERMAL POWER PLANTS 3780.  SHRIMATI POONAM MAHAJAN:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  any  measures/initiatives  were  taken  by  the  Union  Government  for improving the environmental performance of coal based power stations in the country, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  any  initiatives  are  proposed  to  be  taken  for  implementing  Clean Development  Mechanism  (CDM)  recommended  by  TERI  recently,  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (c) whether all power plants in the country have taken afforestation projects in  he nearby areas of the plant for protecting the environment, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether  any  pollution  control  strategies  are  followed  by  the  power  plants  for safer environment, if so, the details thereof?

## A N S W E R

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR POWER, COAL, NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND MINES

( SHRI  PIYUSH GOYAL )

(a) : Following measures are taken for improving the environmental performance of Coal based thermal power plants:

- I. All  thermal  power  plants  require  prior  environmental  clearance  from  the concerned  regulatory  authority-Ministry  of  Environment,  Forests  &  Climate Change  (MoEF&CC)  or  the  State  Environment  Impact  Assessment  Authority (SEIAA) as the case may be, before initiating activities related to establishment of the power plant.
- II. Coal based capacity addition during the 13 th  Plan period shall be only through super-critical units. Adoption of supercritical technology would help in reduction in per unit emission of particulate matter, SO 2 , NOx& CO 2 .
- III. Phased  retirement  of  in-efficient  and  old  thermal  power  generation  units  has also been taken up.  A capacity of about 6010 MW has already been retired as on 31.10.2016.
- IV. To facilitate State Utilities/IPPs to replace old & inefficient coal based thermal units  with  more  efficient  supercritical  units,  the  Government  of  India  has formulated a policy of automatic transfer of Coal linkage granted to old plants to new super-critical units.
- V. Coal  cess  has  been  increased  from  Rs.200/ton  to  Rs.400/ton  to  enhance  the National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) to be utilized for promoting clean electricity production that includes renewable sources.
- VI. Perform,  Achieve  &  Trade  (PAT)  Scheme,  introduced  in  2012,  has  resulted  in improving unit heat rate of thermal units and thereby reduction in emissions.

...........2.

- VII. The norms for emissions/effluents from thermal power plants have been revised by  MoEF&CC by  imposing  stringent  emission  standards  for  particulate  matter and imposing limits for gaseous emission of SO 2 and NOx  and water consumption vide notification dated 07/12/2015.
- VIII. Directions  have  been  issued  by  the  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  under section 18(1)  b  of  Water  &  Air  Acts  to  the  State  Pollution  Control  Boards  and Pollution  Control  Committees  for  directing  17  categories  of  highly  polluting industries  including  thermal  power  plants  for  installation  of  online  effluent quality and common emission monitoring systems to help track compliance of the discharges of pollutants from these  units.
- IX. The Government of India has notified the Tariff Policy on 28th January, 2016, which mandates that the thermal power plant(s) including the existing plants, located  within  50  km  radius  of  sewage  treatment  plant  of  Municipality/local bodies/similar organization shall, in the order of their closeness to the sewage treatment  plant,  mandatorily  use  treated  sewage  water  produced  by  these bodies and the associated cost on this account be allowed as a pass through in the tariff.

(b) : Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Works on Frameworks and Rules finalized under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Article 6 of the Paris Agreement deals with market mechanism.

- (c):  (i) All the power plants have commitment to the protection of the environment and maintaining the ecological balance. One of the main thrust areas in this mission is afforestation. Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) undertake afforestation  in  and  around  the  plant  areas  (township,  green-belt  around plant periphery etc.).
- (ii) The Govt. of India, Ministry of Power, has introduced the National Environment  Management  Award  since  2008-09  for  Coal/Lignite  based Thermal  Power  Plants.  Afforestation  is one  of  the  key  environmental parameters for selection of an Awardee.
- (d) : Following measures are taken by Thermal Plants to control Pollution:-
- (i) High  efficiency  Electrostatic  Precipitators  (ESPs)  are  installed  to  capture Particulate Matters (Fly ash) from flue gases.
- (ii) Low NO X  burners are used for reducing NOx emission from flue gases.
- (iii) SO 2   emission  control  achieved  through  dispersion  of  flue  gases  from  tall stacks  (275  metres)  in  large  size  units  of  500  MW  and  above.  In  sensitive areas, the FGD plants have also been installed as prescribed by MOEF&CC.
- (iv) Effluent Treatment  Plant  is  installed in  all  Thermal  Power  Plants  for treatment of effluents generated from different processes to maintain proper quality of Liquid/Water to be recycled/used for horticulture.
- (v) Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) is installed at Thermal power plants to treat sewage/waste  water  of  residential  area/township.  The  treated  water,  thus produced, is used for horticulture inside the plant boundary.
- (vi) Dust extraction and dust suppression systems are provided at Coal handling plant to contain fugitive emission of coal dust.

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