Lok Sabha Question No. 95 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-04
Subject: Installation of Flue Gas De-sulfurisation System
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: M.K. Vishnu Prasad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 95

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.12.2023

## Installation of Flue Gas De-sulfurisation System

## 95. DR. VISHNU PRASAD M.K.:

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

- (a) whether the  Government is aware about the limited progress  in  the installation of  Flue Gas Desulfurisation (FGD) systems in coal-fired power plants to control sulphur dioxide emissions;
- (b) if  so,  the  steps  taken  to  ensure  compliance  with  the  emission  norms  and  accelerate  the adoption of pollution control measures, such as FGD systems;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  taking  steps  to  strengthen  the  regulatory  framework  and improve on-ground inspections to address the dilution of emission norms; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND

## CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a)  &  (b): Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  vide  notification  dated 07.12.2015 stipulated norms for sulphur dioxide (SO2) emission apart from other pollutants for coal-fired thermal power plants.

The  implementation  of  the  emission  norms,  requiring  installation  of  Flue-Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) technology, got delayed due to various techno-economic constraints faced by thermal power plants and further affected by the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Considering these constraints, the Central Government initially decided for phased implementation  of  FGDs  with  maximum  timelines  up  to  December  2022,  and  later  vide notifications vide dated 31.03.2021 and 05.09.2022 granted further extension of time limit for implementation  of  the  new  emission  norms  for  SO2  parameter  up  to  December  2024, December 2025 and December 2026 for Category A, B and C plants, respectively, based on plant's location (Annexure-I: Notification dated 05.09.2022).

Status of installation of FGD in coal-fired thermal power plants up to November 2023 is  enclosed,  which  is  also  available  on  Central  Electricity  Authority's  (CEA)  website  for information of the stakeholders and public (Annexure-II).

In  order  to  ensure  compliance  with  the  new  emission  norms  and  accelerate  the adoption  of  pollution  control  measures,  the  notification  dated  05.09.2022  prescribes  for imposition of environmental compensation on non-compliant coal-fired thermal power plants.

(c)  &  (d):  The  respective  State  Pollution  Control  Boards  (SPCBs)/  Pollution  Control Committees (PCCs) issue the Consent to Operate under the provisions of Air (Prevention and Control  of  Air  Pollution)  Act,  1981  and  Water  (Prevention  and  Control  of  Pollution)  Act, 1974  to  oversee  the  compliance  of  emissions/effluent  standards.  SPCBs/PCCs  carry  out physical  monitoring  of  industries  from  time  to  time  and  take  action  against  the  violators under  the  provision  of  the  Water  and  Air  Acts.  Further,  Online  Continuous  Emission  and Effluent  Monitoring  Systems  (OCEMS)  have  been  installed  in  17  categories  of  highly polluting  industries, including thermal power plants, for 24×7 monitoring of compliance of environmental parameters.

******

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## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 5th September, 2022

G.S.R. 682(E).-ln exercise  of the powers confened by sections  3, 6 and 25 of the Environment  (Protection)  Act, 1986 (29 of 1986), the Central  Government  hereby  makes the following rules further to amend the Envtonment (Protection)  Rules. 1q86.  namely:  -

- l.  (1)  These  rules  may be called the Environment  (Protection)  Second Amendment Rules' 2022.
- (2) They shall  come  into force on the date ofthet  publication  in the Official Gazette.
2. In the Environment  (Protection)  Rules, 1986,  in Schedule  -  I, in serial  numbcr 25 for "* (i) Table l" the following shall be substituted,  namely: -

Table-I

| sl. No.   | Category   | Location/area                                                                           | Iimelines for compliance (Non-retiring units)   | Iimelines for compliance (Non-retiring units)   | Last date units for comDliance      | for retirement ol exemption from   | for retirement ol exemption from   |
|-----------|------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|           |            |                                                                                         | parameters other than SO2 emissions             | SO2 emissions                                   | parameters other tban SO1 emissions |                                    | S02 emissiotrs                     |
|           | (2)        | (3)                                                                                     | (4)                                             | (5)                                             | (6)                                 |                                    | (7)                                |
| I         | Category   | With l0 km radius of National Capital Region or lities having million plus oooulation'. | Upto3l" December 2022                           | up ro 3ls' December 2024                        | Up to 31" December 2022             |                                    | Up to 3l'l December 2027           |
| z         | Category B | With l0 km radius of Criticatly Polluted Areas2 or Non-aftainmenl cities'               | up to 31" December 2023                         | Up to 3l'' December 2025                        | Up to 31" December 2025             |                                    |                                    |
|           | Sategory   | Other than those included in category A and B                                           | up to 31" December 2024                         | Up to 31" December 2026                         | Up to 3l '' December 2025           |                                    |                                    |

'(ii) (a) The thermal  power  plant  declared  to retire before the date  as specified  in cotumn  (6) of Tablel shall not be required to meet the specified norms  for parameters other  than SO2 emissions  in case such plants  submit  an undeftaking to CPCB and CEA for exemption on ground ofretirement of such plant:

provided  that such  plants shall be levied environment compensation  from  the dates  as specified  in column  (4) of table I, at the rate of rupees  0.40 per unit electricity  generated in case their operation  is continued  beyond the date as specified in the undertaking;

(ii) (b) The thermal  power  plant  declared  to retire  before the date as specified  in column  (7) of Tablel shall  not be required to meet the specified norms for SO2 emissions in case such plants submit an undertaking to CPCB and CEA for exemption on ground  ofretirement  ofsuch  plant:

Provided that such plants  shall be levied environment compensation  fiom  the dates  as specified in column  (5) oftable I, at the rate of rupees  0.40 per unit electricity  generated  in case their operation  is continued  beyond  the date as specified  in the undertaking;'

4. For (r' (iii)" the  following  shall be substituted,  namely:  -

"(iii)  there  shall be levied environment  compensation on the non-retiring thermal power plants,  after the date as specified in column (4)  and (5) ofTable-I,  as per the rates specified in the Table-ll,  namely: -

Table'II

| Non-Compliant operation beyond the Timeline   | Environmental Compensation (Rs. per unit electricity generated)   |
|-----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 0-180 days                                    | 0.20                                                              |
| l8l-365 days                                  | 0.30                                                              |
| 366 days and beyond                           | 0.40"                                                             |

[F.  No.  Q-l  50 I 7/402007-CPwl

NARESH PAL GANGWA&  Addl. Secy.

Note: The principle rules were published  in the Gazette  of India Exraordinary,  Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i) vide number S.O. 8,14(E),  dated the l9th November,  1986  and lastly amended vide notification G.S.R.  143(E), dated  the 22nd  February,2Q22.

Annexure - II referred in reply to part (a) &(b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 95 due for answer on 04.12.2023 regarding 'Installation of Flue Gas De-sulfurisation System' raised by Dr. Vishnu Prasad M.K., Hon'ble M. P.

## Status of Installation of FGD in Coal - fired Thermal Power Plants

| S.N o.   | Sector   |   Tot al (No . of Uni ts) |   CF BC |   Claims SO2 complian ce |   Retir ed |   Feasibili ty Study not started |   Feasibili ty Study started |   Feasibili ty Study complet ed |   Tender specificat ion made |   NIT Issue d |   Bid opene d |   Bid Award ed |   FGD install ed |
|----------|----------|---------------------------|---------|--------------------------|------------|----------------------------------|------------------------------|---------------------------------|------------------------------|---------------|---------------|----------------|------------------|
| 1.       | Central  |                       168 |       4 |                        0 |          3 |                                0 |                            2 |                               0 |                            0 |             6 |            11 |            133 |                9 |
| 2.       | State    |                       221 |       7 |                        0 |          7 |                                0 |                           11 |                              38 |                           16 |            72 |            22 |             48 |                0 |
| 3.       | Private  |                       211 |      42 |                        6 |          0 |                                2 |                           24 |                              16 |                           13 |            18 |            29 |             46 |               15 |
|          | Total    |                       600 |      53 |                        6 |         10 |                                2 |                           37 |                              54 |                           29 |            96 |            62 |            227 |               24 |