Only 5% of India's coal power plants meet sulphur dioxide emission norms: CSE

Only 5% of India’s coal-fired power plants have installed air pollution control devices for sulphur dioxide emissions

Even after multiple extensions, only 5% of India's coal-fired power plants have installed flue gas de-sulfurisation (FGD) systems, which are air pollution control devices for sulphur dioxide emissions, a new analysis has said.

The analysis by the environmental think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is based on the updated FGD status released by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the technical arm of the Ministry of Power, in April.

The Union environment ministry had specified the emission norms for coal-based power plants in December 2015. However, these have been diluted for various parameters, and deadlines have been repeatedly extended.

According to the CSE analysis, the 5% of plants that have so far installed FGDs for controlling sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions include 9,280 MW that have been reported to have commissioned FGDs and another 1,430 MW that claim to be SO2 compliant.

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The lack of information about on-ground inspections by regulatory bodies raises doubts about the accuracy of these claims, Anubha Aggarwal, programme officer, industrial pollution unit, CSE said.

The installation of FGD systems takes around two years followed by temporary shutdowns for necessary arrangements. The CSE researchers estimated the likelihood of power plants meeting emission norms based on their compliance stage and the remaining time until the deadline.