Lok Sabha Question No. 2284 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-23
Subject: Emission Standard
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Dushyant Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO.2284

TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.09.2020

## Emission Standard

## 2284. SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Ministry has given in-principle approval for relaxation of Nitrogen Oxide emission standard limit from 300mg/Nm³ to 450mg/Nm³ in May 2019;
- (b) if  so,  the  reasons  therefor  along  with  the  steps  taken  by  Government  to  tackle 'Climate Change';
- (c) the details of communications between Ministry of Power (MoP), Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) related to increasing NOx emission standards;
- (d) if so, the details of the officials involved in this decision from MoP, CEA and CPCB;
- (e) the monitoring report on emissions of four thermal power plants sent to the Ministry in May 2019; and
- (f) the  details  of  thermal  power  plants  violating  the  300mg/Nm³  standard  as  per  the monitoring report at full-load and part-load?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

(a) & (b) The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change  has  in-principle approved  for  relaxation  of  NOx  emission  standard  limit  from  300mg/Nm 3 to  450 mg/Nm 3 in May 2019 for the Thermal Power Plants installed between 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2016, based on the recommendations of meeting held by committee having members from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate (MoEFCC), Ministry of Power  (MoP),  Central  Electricity  Authority  (CEA),  Central  Pollution  Control  Board (CPCB) and National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) on  17 May 2019. The recommendation was based on following considerations.

- (i) The report submitted by CPCB and CEA on the joint monitoring carried out in 7 units of 4 Thermal Power Plants;
- (ii) Difficulties  to  achieve  by  combustion  modification  to  achieve  norms  of  300 mg/Nm 3 ;
- (iii) Assurance  given  to  power  generating  companies  by  BHEL  would  be  able  to achieve NOx emission level of 450 mg/Nm 3 by combustion modification;
- (iv) Operational  issues  with  the  Selected  Non-Catalytic  Reduction  (SNCR)  as  it requires Urea/Ammonia for control of NOx and its suitability to all type of boiler, temperature band;
- (v) Globally available SCR  system  for NOx control are not proven  for Indian Coal having  high  ash  contained  and  retrofitting  is  not  possible  in  operating/under construction plants;
- (vi) NOx  emission  level  varies  based  on  the  operational  conditions  of  the  unit  for example unit load, composition of the coal, mill combination (i.e. top mill, bottom mill, middle mill operation), excess air etc.

(c)  &  (d)  The  details  of  communications  held  between  the  MoP,  CEA  and  CPCB  is annexed (Annexure I).Some of the officials  involved  in the process,  includes the Chief Engineer and AGM, Thermal Performance Evaluation & Climate Change Division, CEA; Secretary, Joint Secretary (Thermal), Under  Secretary and Section Officer,  MoP; Secretary,  Joint  Secretary  (Control  of  Pollution),  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and Climate Change; Additional Directors, CPCB.

(e)& (f) A copy of the joint monitoring report (at full and half load), as carried out by the CPCB and CEA on emissions of four thermal power plants, as submitted by the CPCB to the Ministry is also annexed (Annexure II).

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