Page 12 - AsiaElec Week 23 2021

AsiaElec NEWS IN BRIEF AsiaElec

POLICY with a total designed annual household IEEFA: New coal-fired power
waste processing capacity of 51mn tons
ADB, China Everbright and expected on-grid power generation of plants in India will be
approximately 16,912 GWh.
Environment form Strategic for Healthy Oceans and Sustainable Blue economically unviable
In 2019, ADB launched the Action Plan
Partnership for Ocean Economies to expand financial and technical Much of India’s 33 gigawatts (GW) of
assistance for ocean health and marine
coal-fired power capacity currently under
Health in Asia economy projects. construction and another 29GW in the
preconstruction stage will end up stranded,
ADB
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) according to a new briefing note by the
and China Everbright Environment Institute for Energy Economics and Financial
Group Limited (CEEGL) today signed a COAL-FIRED GENERATION Analysis (IEEFA).
memorandum of understanding (MOU) to “Coal-fired power simply cannot
cooperate on efforts to promote the circular Delhi government petitions compete with the ongoing cost reductions
economy and protect ocean health in Asia. of renewables. Solar tariffs in India are now
Under the agreement, ADB and CEEGL Supreme court to close 10 below even the fuel costs of running most
will jointly promote the development of existing coal-fired power plants,” says author
enhanced solid waste management systems in TPPs Kashish Shah, Research Analyst at IEEFA.
Asia to encourage public-private partnerships “In the last 12 months no new coal-fired
(PPP) in waste collection, transportation, and A petition has been filed by the Delhi power plants have been announced, and
recycling, and to reduce land-based sources of government in the Supreme Court seeking there has been no movement in the 29GW of
marine debris and related impacts to marine closure of 10 thermal power plants around preconstruction capacity.
life, coastal livelihoods, and human health. the capital that are using outdated pollution “This reflects the lack of financing available
“The ocean ecosystem faces severe control technology, environment minister for new coal-fired power projects, and also the
threats from pollution and climate change, Gopal Rai said on Thursday. flattening of electricity demand growth, which
demanding urgent and sustainable solutions,” A statement from Rai’s office said these 10 has impacted coal the most.”
said ADB Private Sector Operations coal-fired thermal power plants in Punjab, Despite these headwinds, the Central
Department Deputy Director General Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are contributing Electricity Authority (CEA) still projects India
Christopher Thieme. “By leveraging ADB significantly to air pollution in the Delhi-NCR will reach 267GW of coal-fired capacity by
and CEEGL’s complementary expertise and region. 2030 which would require adding 58GW of
resources, our partnership will spur advocacy “We have been writing to the Government net new capacity additions – or about 6.4GW
for the circular economy and healthy oceans of India and requesting their cooperation annually.
and disseminate crucial knowledge needed to regarding pollution from thermal plants. Our note points out it is “highly
develop blue economies.” However, no action has been taken against improbable” that the CEA’s projections will
“We look forward to cooperating with these plants and instead, they are being materialise given the ongoing financial and
ADB in reducing marine debris, fostering allowed to pollute with total disregard for the operational stress in the thermal power sector,
blue economy collaboration, and promoting health of citizens. We hope that the Supreme and puts the case that India’s coal capacity
the circular economy in the future, as well Court will take the necessary steps and direct requirements should be urgently revised.
as taking this opportunity to improve the closure of these plants on an urgent basis,” Rai “Any projections for India’s future
company’s strategic vision for business said. generation mix should take into account
development,” said CEEGL Chairman of A statement issued by his office said the that new coal-fired power plants are likely to
the Board Wang Tianyi. “Meanwhile, the timeline given by the Ministry of Power to become stranded assets,” says Shah.
company will take the reduction of pollution these plants to comply with emission norms “The new capacity would only be
and carbon intensity in the ocean as a starting were revised to December 2019 as against the economically viable if it replaced end-of-
point to better support the People’s Republic earlier timeline of 2018. “However, the Central life, polluting power plants with outdated
of China’s (PRC) pledge to achieve carbon Pollution Control Board (CPCB) arbitrarily combustion technology and locations remote
emissions peak and carbon neutrality.” extended the deadline to 2022. Further, to coal mines.
The cooperation will focus on raising according to the new notification, non- “Even then, there would need to be
awareness on the critical role of solid waste compliance by these power plants will not lead sufficient coal plant flexibility to deliver power
management to ensure ocean health and to closure of polluting units but they would into periods of peak demand, and the time-of-
will document a case study of marine debris continue to pollute subject to payment of a day pricing would need to be high enough to
reduction through relevant projects. ADB and mere penalty amount,” the statement added. justify the low over the day utilisation rates.”
CEEGL will also collaborate to enhance PPP It also said that the Delhi government, in Shah adds that without material growth
project preparation templates, to promote representations to the power ministry and in electricity demand, installing additional
PPPs in solid waste management in ADB’s the CPCB in October 2020, had sought the inflexible high emissions baseload capacity
developing member countries. closure of these non-compliant power plants will increase the financial distress of state-
CEEGL is the first one-stop integrated citing risk to the health of citizens due to owned distribution companies (discoms)
environmental solution provider in the PRC “excessive pollution” caused by them. by adding to their burden of paying fixed
with a business presence in more than 200 capacity charges to thermal power plants that
locations across the PRC as well as overseas are used only sparingly.
markets such as Viet Nam, Germany, and
Poland. At the end of 2020, CEEGL secured COAL-FIRED GENERATION
458 environmental protection projects,
including 161 waste-to-energy projects WIND

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