Lok Sabha Question No. 703 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-17
Subject: High Carbon Emission Power Plants
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Kirron  Kher

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF POWER

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.703 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.09.2020

## HIGH CARBON EMISSION POWER PLANTS

703. SHRIMATI KIRRON KHER:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  identified  the  coal  power  plants  with  high carbon emission across the country;
- (b) if  so,  the  details thereof including the action taken by the Government to shut down these plants and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  there  has  been  a  decrease  in  the  demand  for  electricity  and emission levels as compared to past years and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to ensure that Flue-Gas Desulfurization (FGD) and other emission related upgrades are done quickly, considering the sharp fall in demand of electricity?

## A N S W E R

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  POWER,  NEW  & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

( SHRI  R.K. SINGH)

(a) & (b) : Power generation is a de-licensed activity; and the decision to retire power generating units is taken by the concerned utilities themselves based on techno-commercial considerations.

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has informed that a total of 164  coal  based  units  with  a  capacity  of  14121.38  MW  have  been  retired  from 01.04.2002 to 31.08.2020, as per the decisions taken by the concerned utilities themselves  based  on  the  techno-economic  and  commercial  considerations. Further, the CEA has informed that 34 units with a capacity of 5139 MW have been identified, which have not submitted any plan for compliance of emission control norms.  These  units  would  be  retired/shutdown  as  per  phasing  out  plan  and timelines  given  by  the  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB)/  Ministry  of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) for compliance of emission norms .

- (c) :        The CEA has informed that the demand for electricity in terms of Energy has been increasing over a period of time in the country as per the following details of actual power supply position during the last three years i.e. from 2017-18 to 201920.  However,  in  the  current  year  2020-21,  there  was    a    slight    contraction  in demand

………..2.

of  electric energy  in  the  first  quarter due  to Covid-19 pandemic, which has now gradually picked up.

| Year      | Energy Supplied/consumed   | Year on year Growth   |
|-----------|----------------------------|-----------------------|
|           | (MU)                       | (%)                   |
| 2014-15   | 1,030,785                  | 6.8                   |
| 2015-16   | 1,090,850                  | 5.8                   |
| 2016-17   | 1,135,334                  | 4.1                   |
| 2017-18   | 1,204,697                  | 6.1                   |
| 2018-19   | 1,267,526                  | 5.2                   |
| 2019-20   | 1,284,444                  | 1.3                   |
| 2020-21 * | 5,13,528                   | (-)4.0                |

The  CEA  compiles  a  CO2 database  for  all  grid  connected  Thermal Power Stations (TPSs) in the country and publishes the CO2 database for the TPSs after the end of each financial year in terms of tonnes of CO2 per Megawatt hour (TCo2/MWh).  The  purpose  of  this  database  is  to  establish  an  authentic  and consistent quantification of the CO2 emission baseline. The emission factors for the last 5 years in tCO2/MWh in respect of TPSs are mentioned below:

| Emission Factors (tCO2/MWh) (excl. Imports)   |   2014-15 |   2015-16 |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |   2018-19 | 2019-20*   |
|-----------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------|
| Weighted Average Emission Rate                |      0.83 |      0.82 |      0.83 |      0.82 |      0.82 | 0.82*      |

* Tentative

It is worthwhile to note that the share of non-fossil power generation in the country has increased from 20.9% in 2014-15 to 24.9% in 2019-20, which has led to reduction in overall emissions.

(d) : In order to ensure uninterrupted power supply position in the country, a phased implementation plan for installation of Flue Gas De-Sulphurization (FGD) for control of Sulphur Oxides (SOx), adoption of suitable technology for control of Particulate Matter (PM) and other parameters of emission control norms, had been prepared by the CEA in consultation with the stakeholders. Accordingly, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued directions under section 5 of Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986  to  thermal  power  plants  to  comply  with emission norms in a phased manner.

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