Lok Sabha Question No. 927 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-08
Subject: Decommission of Coal-based Power Plants
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Vishnu Dayal Ram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.927

## ANSWERED ON 08.02.2024

## DECOMMISSION OF COAL-BASED POWER PLANTS

927. SHRI VISHNU DAYAL RAM:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has issued any guidelines for decommissioning of  coal-based  power  plants  for  safe  management,  handling  and  disposal  of hazardous substances and dismantling of scrapped thermal power plant sites;
- (b) if  so,  the details of coal-based power plants decommissioned during the last three years, State-wise including Jharkhand;
- (c) whether  the Government  has  taken  any  action  to rehabilitate the labourers  and  casual  workers  who  lost  their  jobs  after  decommissioning  of  a coal-based power plant; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## A N S W E R

## THE MINISTER OF POWER AND NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY

(SHRI R.K. SINGH)

- (a) to (d) : For safe management, handling and disposal of hazardous substances  and  dismantling  of  scrapped  thermal  power  plants  and  disposal, Thermal Power  Plants (TPPs) are required to follow various rules and regulations, guidelines such as:-
- I. Adherence  with  the  environmental  norms  as  applicable  under  the  Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1976 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
- II. Adherence with the Hazardous Waste Management Rules, 2016, Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and E-waste Management Rules, 2022,

……..2.

## III. Adherence to Factory Act-1948

Generation is a de-licensed activity as per Section 7 of the Electricity Act, 2003. Decision to decommission  a  coal  based  thermal  unit  and rehabilitating the labourers and casual workers who may lose their jobs after decommissioning of a coal-based power plant is taken by power generating companies based on their own techno-economic & commercial considerations  and  environmental  reasons.  In  general,  the  labourers  and casual  workers  who  may  lose  their  work  after  a  coal  based  unit  is decommissioned,  gets  reemployed  in  other  available  assignments  of  the utility on a case to case basis.

19 coal based units of 2344 MW capacity have been retired in the last three  years  i.e.  from  01.01.2021  to  31.01.2024  including  Jharkhand.  The State-wise list of retired coal-based units is given at Annexure.

The  Central  Electricity  Authority  has  issued  an  advisory  to  all  the Thermal  Power  Utilities  not  to  retire  or  repurpose  their  coal  based  power stations  (units  having  capacity  of  more  than  200  MW)  before  2030  and  to ensure  the  availability  of  thermal  units  after  carrying  out  Renovation  and Modernization (R&M) activities, if required, considering the expected energy demand scenario and availability of capacity in future.

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ANNEXURE ANNEXURE  REFERRED  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  UNSTARRED

QUESTION NO. 927 ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 08.02.2024 *************

List of coal based Thermal Units Retired in the last three years (from 01.01.2021 to 31.01.2024)

| Sl. No.           | Name of Station/Plant   | State         | Fuel   | Unit No.     | No of Units   | Installed Capacity (MW)   | Retired (MW)   | Retired on   |
|-------------------|-------------------------|---------------|--------|--------------|---------------|---------------------------|----------------|--------------|
| 1 BOKARO TPS      | `B` Jharkhand           | Coal          | 3      | 1            | 210 (1*210)   | 210                       | 01.04.2021     |              |
| 2 Korba-III       |                         | Chhattisgarh  | Coal   | 1,2          | 2             | 240 (2*120)               | 240            | 01.01.2021   |
| 3 TALCHER TPS     | (OLD) Odisha            |               | Coal   | 1,2,3, 4,5,6 | 6             | 460 (4*60+ 2*110)         | 460            | 01.04.2021   |
| 4 Koradi          | TPS                     | Maharashtra   | Coal   | 7            | 1             | 210 (1*210)               | 210            | 02.09.2021   |
| 5 MUZAFFARPUR TPS |                         | Bihar         | Coal   | 1,2          | 2             | 220 (2*110)               | 220            | 31.01.2022   |
| 6 Bandel          | TPS                     | West Bengal   | Coal   | 1            | 1             | 60(1*60)                  | 60             | 28.03.2022   |
| 7                 | Kolaghat TPS            | West Bengal   | Coal   | 1,2          | 2             | 420 (2*210)               | 420            | 28.03.2022   |
| 8 OBRA            | TPS                     | Uttar Pradesh | Coal   | 7            | 1             | 94 (1*94)                 | 94             | 13.10.2022   |
| 9 DURGAPUR TPS    |                         | West Bengal   | Coal   | 4            | 1             | 210 (1*210)               | 210            | 19.12.2022   |
| 10                | PARICHHA TPS            | Uttar Pradesh | Coal   | 1,2          | 2             | 220 (2*110)               | 220            | 11.10.2023   |
| Total             | Total                   | Total         |        |              | 19            |                           | 2344           |              |

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