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AsiaElec EMISSIONS AsiaElec
Delaying India’s emission deadline
could hold back pollution fight
INDIA THE Indian Power Ministry’s efforts to extend power plants,” Narain added.
the proposed deadline to meet emission norms Coal-fired power plants account for over 60%
for coal-based thermal power plants (TPPs) of the total particulate matter (PM) emissions
could hinder efforts to fight air pollution. from all industry, as well as 45% of sulphur diox- Pull quote to go
The Centre for Science and Environment ide, 30% of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and 80% of
(CSE), an Indian think-tank, said on February mercury emissions. in here Pull quote
8 that if the deadline is pushed back then the “The power ministry’s request is nothing but
government’s efforts over the last five years to rewarding those plants that have not taken ade- to go in here Pull
cut emissions at power plants would be in vain. quate action on the 2015 notification till now. We
“Extending the deadline once again will have request the MoEF&CC to consider our first run quote to go in
grave repercussions for the fight against air pol- policy and incentivise plants that are meeting the here Pull quote
lution. It will also mean a complete mockery of norms, and penalise units that are defaulting,”
the Supreme Court and Indian regulators’ efforts said Nivit Kumar Yadav, programme director, to go in here Pull
to control pollution from the coal-based thermal industrial pollution unit, CSE.
power sector over the last five years,” said CSE CSE’s recently released report has categorised quote to go in
director-general Sunita Narain. coal-fired TPPs into three categories on the basis
In January, the Power Ministry asked the of their compliance status with the new emission here.
Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate norms.
Change (MoEF&CC) to extend the deadline The yellow category covers 57,624 MW of
from 2022 to 2024. The request relates to 448 capacity that are likely to meet the targets. The
operational power generating units. orange category covers 140,940 MW of capac-
The Power Ministry blames uncertainties ity that is likely to miss the target. These stations
caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pan- are in the stage of tendering or doing a feasibility
demic, as well as other issues such as coal import study. CSE advised that only 50% of the fixed cost
restrictions, the lack of local availability of com- be reimbursed to these stations.
ponents and the liquidity crunch in the power Finally, the red category covers 7,450 MW
sector. capacity that do not have any plans at present
“The power ministry’s move seems to have to meet the norms and will definitely miss the
been influenced by the industry’s consistent target. The CSE advises that no fixed cost be
efforts to dilute and delay the norms. The indus- returned to these stations until they meet the
try is obviously not bothered about the health norms.
risks posed by pollution from these coal-based
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