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Thermal power plants in Delhi-NCR not following government orders: CSE

This information has come from a new study released on Thursday by the Center for Science and Environment (CSE). The Union power ministry had in October 2021 ordered plants to replace five to 10 per cent of coal used for power generation with biomass or agricultural residues. Several coal-fired power plants in the Delhi-National Capital Region have made little progress on meeting guidelines on using biomass or agricultural residues for power generation. This information has come from a new study released on Thursday by the Center for Science and Environment (CSE). The Union power ministry had in October 2021 ordered plants to replace five to 10 per cent of coal used for power generation with biomass or agricultural residues. This was done to tackle the challenge of stubble burning and emissions. These plants were to use both these materials for power generation by September 2022 and increase it to seven percent in the coming year. CSE said that these plants in Delhi-NCR have hardly made any progress. Nivit Kumar Yadav, CSE’s program director of industrial pollution, said, “Our study shows that till December 2022, these 11 plants used agricultural residues in less than one percent of the coal burned every year.” ‘ He said that one of the major reasons for this is the huge demand-supply gap. The CSE also found that some plants such as the Panipat and Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Stations tried to seek exemption from the policy of co-firing biomass by appealing to the Electricity Regulatory Commission of Haryana. However, the commission turned down this request.

Thermal plants in Delhi-NCR not using biomass to generate electricity: CSE

Bathinda: Many of the coal-based power plants in Delhi-NCR situated in Punjab and Haryana have made very little progress in complying with official directives, states a new study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). To add to this, a recent notification issued in February 2023 by the environment ministry has given these plants more leeway to delay meeting the directives. In October 2021, the Union ministry of power had mandated the plants to replace 5-10% of the coal they use for electricity generation with biomass or agricultural residues. This was done to address the twin challenge of stubble burning and emissions from coal-based thermal power plants. These plants had to achieve 5% of co-firing by September 2022 and escalate it to 7% the following year. The 11 coal-based power plants in Delhi-NCR, in addition to adhering to the ministry’s policy, were also given a separate direction by the Commission on Air Quality Management (CAQM) in September 2021 to co-fire biomass. The CSE has carried out a study to understand the status of biomass co-firing in coal-based power plants in Delhi-NCR. Says Nivit Kumar Yadav, programme director, CSE, “Our study shows that cumulatively less than 1% of the coal consumed per annum in these 11 plants had been replaced with agro-residues until December 2022.” Supply of biomass pellets is also a key concern as plants surveyed by the CSE have pointed out that they do not have reliable long-term supply of pellets.

Thermal power plants in Delhi-NCR not following govt order to use biomass to generate electricity: CSE

Many coal-based power plants in Delhi-NCR have made very little progress on complying with directions to use biomass or agricultural residue for electricity generation, according to a new study released on Thursday. A recent (February 2023) notification by the Environment ministry has given these plants more leeway to delay meeting the directives, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which conducted the study, said. In October 2021, the Union Ministry of Power had mandated the plants to replace five to 10 per cent of the coal they use for electricity generation with biomass or agricultural residue.

Getting out of fossils

Quickly ramping up cheaper finance through international partnerships should be JET-P’s focus so that the new energy future is clean Why differentiate between coal and natural gas, when both are fossil fuels? I had asked this last fortnight, as it is a question of climate justice and most importantly, the feasibility of moving at speed and scale to reduce fossil fuel emissions responsible for heating up the Planet. The fact is, roughly 70 per cent of the world’s population have not contributed to the stock of emissions in the atmosphere but are today highly dependent on coal for energy. Richer countries have made the transition from coal to natural gas, which is somewhat cleaner—it emits roughly half the carbon dioxide emitted by coal, in addition to methane. But given their enormous appetite for energy, these countries’ past and current emissions are high; totally disproportionate to their share of the global carbon budget. Now, the burden of the transition to clean energy has been shifted to countries that are least responsible for the stock of emissions and least capable of making the switch. This is not only unjust but also unrealistic. It makes the fight against climate change even more intractable and difficult. The current global efforts are twofold. One is to stop financing coal-based thermal power projects in countries of the South. Two, to provide funding to close down coal thermal plants and to make the switch to renewable power. The Just Energy Transition Partnership (JET-P) of the G7 countries now includes South Africa, Indonesia and Vietnam. The jury is still out on whether JET-P will provide the enabling funds for the scale of the transition. The cost of building new renewable power projects is still two to three times that of a new coal-based project in spite of the reduced costs of solar and wind energy. So, unless finances are proportionate to the need, the transition to clean energy is a tough proposition, especially in countries where the affordability of energy is critical. What, then, are the options ahead? Let me discuss this in the context of India, where we need to address the issue of toxic air pollution because of coal burning. We cannot become defenders of coal however bad global politics may be. It is in our interest to reduce local air pollution and combat climate change. But we need to do this based on our imperatives. The strategy should be to vastly increase the rates of electrification in the country so that we can reduce coal combustion in millions of industrial boilers that are inefficient and highly polluting, and move towards electrification of vehicles, which in turn will reduce air pollution in our cities. The zillion-dollar question then is, how will this electricity be produced? This is where we should engage with JET-P. Our first task is to reduce dependence on coal even as we vastly increase our energy supply. This means doing more of what the Indian government is also committed to doing; limiting coal and investing in cleaner natural gas and renewable energy. Reducing India’s coal power dependence in the electricity mix to 50 per cent from over 70 per cent now would mean upping our target for renewable energy from 450 GW to 650-700 GW by 2030. This scale of transformation will need financing, especially if we want to keep the cost of new renewable energy capacity low so that energy is affordable. This is where international partnerships must be sought; both to reduce the cost of finances and to provide additional finance. This should be the focus of JET-P; to quickly ramp up cheaper finance so that the new energy future is clean. The question that remains is what do we do with the existing coal plants? We should “clean” these plants; there should be no further procrastination about enforcing the 2015 new emission standards notification of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. This will reduce local air pollution from existing power plants. We should also push towards natural gas-powered plants—India has stranded assets of 20 GW that need to be fired up. For this, we need natural gas at affordable rates and this should be our ask. In addition, examine what can be better done to this existing coal fleet to make it climate-smart. The older generation plants that cannot be refurbished need to be phased out; but this needs a plan so that labour and land assets can be redeployed for clean energy generation. This should be a package deal with clear milestones for emission reduction and energy access. The global community needs to rework its proposals. First, JET-P needs to be an enabler for the clean energy transition; instead of being the stick on coal, it must become the carrot for the new infrastructure to be clean and climate-smart. This means focusing on making the cost of finances to the emerging world, which is 2-6x higher than the developed OECD countries, much lower and more accessible. Second, the global energy transition pathway has to be for all fossil fuels—coal and natural gas. This would not only show that richer countries have exhausted their quota for using natural gas, but also make gas available at affordable costs to emerging countries that face the twin problems of local and global emissions. Let’s be clear, the science of climate change is also the politics of inclusion and responsibility. This is where we must get it right. DTE The writer is the Director-General of CSE and editor of DownToEarth. Views expressed are personal

The News Minute Co-Founder Dhanya Rajendran To Receive Chameli Devi Jain Award

Dhanya Rajendran, the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of The News Minute, will be the recipient of the Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Women Mediapersons 2022. Announcing Rajendran's name as this year's winner, a three-member jury, comprising of columnist Nidhi Razdan, The Indian Express' National Rural Affairs and Agriculture Editor Harish Damodaran, and PTI's Bhasha Editor Nirmal Pathak, said that the work done by her portrays a mix of meticulous reportage and data that reflects committed journalism. This year, the foundation had received more than 70 entries from across the country. The award will be presented on 21 March at Delhi's India International Centre. Several prominent women journalists have been past recipients of the award, such as Sevanti Ninan, Kalpana Sharma, Sucheta Dalal, Teesta Setalvad, Pamela Philipose, Barkha Dutt, Sunita Narain, Shahina KK, Supriya Sharma, Raksha Kumar, Neha Dixit, Rohini Mohan, and Chitra Subramaniam.

डोर-टू-डोर प्लास्टिक वेस्ट मैनेजमेंट की जानकारी देंगे सफाईकर्मी

इसके लिए बुधवार को प्लास्टिक वेस्ट मैनेजमेंट के क्षेत्र में क्षमता बढ़ाने हेतु संजय प्लेस स्थित होटल में वर्कशॉप का आयोजन किया गया। वर्कशॉप सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) की ओर से नगर निगम कर्मचारियों के लिए आयोजित की गई। प्लास्टिक वेस्ट का मैनेजमेंट चुनौती निगम के 123 कर्मचारियों ने इस वर्कशॉप में पार्टिसिपेट किया। वर्कशॉप में सीएसई के एमएसडब्ल्यू यूनिट के निदेशक अतिन बिस्वास ने बताया कि बेहतर ठोस अपशिष्ट प्रबंधन हेतु सीएसई पिछले दो वर्ष से कार्यरत है। कूड़ा प्रबंधन में सोर्स सेग्रीगेशन की महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका होती है। जिसमें शहरवासियों की भागीदारी जरूरी है। मौजूदा समय में प्लास्टिक कचरा काफी बढ़ा है, जिसका प्रबंधन काफी चुनौती है। इसको ध्यान में रखते हुए इस वर्कशॉप का आयोजन किया गया है। सिंगल यूज प्लास्टिक की बताई पहचान कार्यक्रम प्रबंधक सिद्धार्थ सिंह ने प्लास्टिक के विभिन्न प्रकारों, नगर में प्लास्टिक के प्रबंधन में जुड़े स्वास्थ्य विभाग के सफाई नायक, सफाई निरीक्षक और संबंधित अधिकारियों की प्रमुख भूमिका के बारे में बताया गया। उन्होंने बताया कि केंद्र सरकार ने एक जनवरी से 120 माइक्रोन से कम मोटाई के प्लास्टिक केरी बैग को भी प्रतिबंधित किया गया है। वर्कशॉप में सिंगल यूज प्लास्टिक आयटम की पहचान करना, उनके सेग्रीगेशन और प्रभावी रूप से सिंगल यूज प्लास्टिक बैन को लागू करने की टिप्स दी। जेडएसओ, एसएफआई, सफाई नायक , सफाईकर्मी आदि को ट्रेनिंग दी गई। अपर नगरायुक्त सुरेंद्र यादव, पर्यावरण अभियंता पंकज भूषण, स्वच्छ भारत मिशन के प्रोजेक्ट मैनेजर केके पांडेय, सीएसई एमएसडब्ल्यू प्रोगाम अतिन बिस्वास, प्रोग्राम मैनेजर सिद्धार्थ सिंह, डिप्टी प्रोग्राम मैनेजर आशीष कुमार चौहान, प्रोग्राफ ऑफिसर कुलदीप आदि मौजूद रहे।

Thermal power plants in Delhi-NCR not following govt order to use biomass to generate electricity: CSE

Any non-adherence to the CAQM directive is considered an offense punishable with imprisonment for a term that may extend up to five years or with fine of up to Rs 1 crore or both as per the CAQM Act, 2021.Our study shows that cumulatively, less than one per cent of the coal consumed per year in these 11 plants had been replaced with agro-residues until December 2022, Nivit Kumar Yadav, programme director, industrial pollution, CSE, said.The key reasons for this include a huge demand-supply gap. Many coal-based power plants in Delhi-NCR have made very little progress on complying with directions to use biomass or agricultural residue for electricity generation, according to a new study released on Thursday. A recent (February 2023) notification by the Environment ministry has given these plants more leeway to delay meeting the directives, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which conducted the study, said. In October 2021, the Union Ministry of Power had mandated the plants to replace five to 10 per cent of the coal they use for electricity generation with biomass or agricultural residue. This was done to address the twin challenge of stubble burning and emissions. These plants had to achieve five per cent of co-firing by September 2022, and escalate it to seven per cent the following year. However, hardly any progress has been made by the plants in Delhi-NCR, the green think tank said. The 11 coal-based power plants in Delhi-NCR, in addition to adhering to the ministry's policy, were also given a separate direction by the Commission on Air Quality Management (CAQM) in September 2021 to co-fire biomass. Any non-adherence to the CAQM directive is considered an offense 'punishable with imprisonment' for a term that may extend up to five years or with fine of up to Rs 1 crore or both as per the CAQM Act, 2021. ''Our study shows that cumulatively, less than one per cent of the coal consumed per year in these 11 plants had been replaced with agro-residues until December 2022,'' Nivit Kumar Yadav, programme director, industrial pollution, CSE, said. The key reasons for this include a huge demand-supply gap. The power plants surveyed by CSE have pointed out that they do not have reliable long-term supply of pellets. The Indira Gandhi thermal power plant in Jhajjar, Haryana, has invited manufacturers to set up a biomass pellet making unit on its premises, but the facility is yet to come up. There is a gap in demand and supply as there are a limited number of pellet manufacturers in the country, Yadav said. In Delhi-NCR, the cumulative capacity of pellet manufacturers is around 2,500 tonnes a day, whereas the demand is twice that. The manufacturers find selling biomass or agricultural residues to industries more lucrative and less tedious. They claim that the tenders issued by the power plants are not being awarded on purpose and the process is being delayed unnecessarily, the CSE said. Government records show that power plants in Delhi-NCR have issued long-term tenders for approximately 12 million tonnes of biomass pellets; however, 73 per cent of these tenders are yet to be awarded, the study said. Until December 2022, the power plants under the ownership of Haryana government — the Rajiv Gandhi TPP, Yamuna Nagar TPP, and Panipat TPP – have issued both short-term and long-term tenders, but none of these orders have been awarded. The Mahatma Gandhi TPP, Dadri TPP, and Indira Gandhi TPP are the only coal-based power plants in Delhi-NCR that have successfully placed long-term orders by December 2022, it said. The study also revealed that in five of the 11 plants —Panipat TPP, Mahatma Gandhi TPP, Nabha TPP, Ropar TPP, and Guru Hargobind TPP -- the tenders issued for biomass pellets are of much lesser quantity than required for replacement of five per cent of the coal-based fuel for 'actual' generation of electricity in the financial year 2021–2022, it said. The CSE also found that some of the power plants – such as Panipat and Rajiv Gandhi TPPs – have tried to get an exemption from complying with the policy on co-firing biomass by appealing to the Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) of Haryana. The commission has however denied the request. ''There is an obvious reluctance in adhering to the policy on biomass co-firing by the power plants in Delhi-NCR. These plants are co-firing biomass only intermittently. A majority of the plants are apprehensive about the supply chain issues and have not taken any strong measures that will build the confidence of the pellet manufacturers or ease their concerns,'' Yadav said. After almost one and a half year of the directive issued by the Ministry of Power and the CAQM – and after the lapse of the deadline in September 2022 -- the Union Environment Ministry has released a new notification on biomass co-firing on February 16. The new notification has pushed the deadlines for compliance by two more years and limited the percentage of co-firing to five per cent. ''As had happened with the emission norms, the new notification has diluted the norms and pushed the deadlines for biomass co-firing, absolving the coal-based power plants from the taking the onus of slow uptake of the policy implementation,'' Yadav said.

Why air pollution in India is a public health crisis and demands urgent action | OPINION

We cannot afford to subject future generations to air pollution that will subject them to lifelong medical dependence and reduce their quality of life. So, it’s high time that it is given a prominent seat in the public policy discourse and debate. By Dr K Madan Gopal, Oshia Garg: With the recently released fifth annual World Air Quality Report 2022, India became the world's eighth most polluted country, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 53.3 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 10 times the WHO's recommended levels. Delhi has been ranked the fourth most polluted city and the second most polluted capital city globally, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 92.6 micrograms per cubic meter. The pace at which air pollution in India has grown is concerning. We have the National Ambient Air Quality Standards in place, as recommended by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), to monitor and control air pollution in India. Yet, they are nowhere close to the global air pollution standards. As a result, many Indian cities are engulfed in toxic pollutant clouds, exacerbating the country's public health crisis. Impact of Air Pollution: Public Health and Beyond The impact of air pollution on public health seems graver than earlier envisaged. It is a significant and growing risk factor for ill health in India. Second only to child and maternal malnutrition and ranking above unsafe water and unsanitary conditions that contribute significantly to the country’s total burden of diseases. As per the Lancet 2022 study, air pollution is estimated to have caused around 1.7 million premature deaths in India in 2019, accounting for nearly 17.8 per cent of the total deaths recorded in the country that year, the highest in the world. Nearly 40 million disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), comprising 11.5 per cent of the total DALYs, are lost due to air pollution. Further, as per a study by the environmental think tank the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), life expectancy in India has decreased by 2.6 years due to the diseases brought on by air pollution. Moreover, it has emerged as the most significant risk factor for non-communicable diseases. While the more recognised effects of air pollution are known, including lung cancer, respiratory obstructions, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and acute respiratory infections, new epidemiological studies suggest that it can have a much broader impact on health, including those on birth weight, child development and cognition, insomnia, fertility, cerebral health, and increased vulnerability to various forms of cancer. Since these effects are not currently considered when estimating the disease burden, the overall effects of air pollution are vastly understated in India. Other consequences of poor air quality include lower labour productivity, employee absenteeism, lower asset productivity, and higher health-care costs. Welfare losses remain unrecognised and un-quantified while calculating the total impact of air pollution. If estimates are to be believed, air pollution costs about $95 billion annually, i.e., almost 7 lakh crore, forming around 3.3 per cent of India’s total GDP. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, the economic losses from premature deaths and morbidity caused by air pollution amounted to $36.8 billion, or 1.36 per cent of India's GDP. Recognising the gross public health threat posed by air pollution, the government has taken some foundational steps, with the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) as the nodal ministry. It has implemented the National Clean Air Programme, a time-bound national-level strategy, to combat rising air pollution by 2024.

Thermal Power Plants In Delhi-NCR Not Using Biomass To Generate Electricity: CSE Study

In October 2021, the Union Ministry of Power mandated coal-based power plants to replace five to 10 per cent of the coal they use for electricity generation with biomass or agricultural residue Many coal-based power plants in Delhi-NCR have made very little progress on complying with directions to use biomass or agricultural residue for electricity generation, according to a new study released on Thursday (March 16). A recent (February 2023) notification by the Environment Ministry has given these plants more leeway to delay meeting the directives, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which conducted the study, said. In October 2021, the Union Ministry of Power had mandated the plants to replace five to 10 per cent of the coal they use for electricity generation with biomass or agricultural residue. This was done to address the twin challenge of stubble burning and emissions. These plants had to achieve five per cent of co-firing by September 2022, and escalate it to seven per cent the following year. However, hardly any progress has been made by the plants in Delhi-NCR, the green think tank said. The 11 coal-based power plants in Delhi-NCR, in addition to adhering to the ministry’s policy, were also given a separate direction by the Commission on Air Quality Management (CAQM) in September 2021 to co-fire biomass. Any non-adherence to the CAQM directive is considered an offense ‘punishable with imprisonment’ for a term that may extend up to five years or with fine of up to Rs 1 crore or both as per the CAQM Act, 2021. Nivit Kumar Yadav, Programme Director, Industrial Pollution, CSE, said, The power plants surveyed by CSE have pointed out that they do not have reliable long-term supply of pellets. The Indira Gandhi thermal power plant in Jhajjar, Haryana, has invited manufacturers to set up a biomass pellet making unit on its premises, but the facility is yet to come up. There is a gap in demand and supply as there are a limited number of pellet manufacturers in the country, Yadav said. In Delhi-NCR, the cumulative capacity of pellet manufacturers is around 2,500 tonnes a day, whereas the demand is twice that. The manufacturers find selling biomass or agricultural residues to industries more lucrative and less tedious. They claim that the tenders issued by the power plants are not being awarded on purpose and the process is being delayed unnecessarily, the CSE said. Government records show that power plants in Delhi-NCR have issued long-term tenders for approximately 12 million tonnes of biomass pellets; however, 73 per cent of these tenders are yet to be awarded, the study said. Until December 2022, the power plants under the ownership of Haryana government — the Rajiv Gandhi TPP, Yamuna Nagar TPP, and Panipat TPP – have issued both short-term and long-term tenders, but none of these orders have been awarded. Also Read: Vehicles Contributed Half Of PM 2.5 Pollution From Local Sources In Delhi Around Diwali: CSE Report The Mahatma Gandhi TPP, Dadri TPP, and Indira Gandhi TPP are the only coal-based power plants in Delhi-NCR that have successfully placed long-term orders by December 2022, it said. The study also revealed that in five of the 11 plants —Panipat TPP, Mahatma Gandhi TPP, Nabha TPP, Ropar TPP, and Guru Hargobind TPP — the tenders issued for biomass pellets are of much lesser quantity than required for replacement of five per cent of the coal-based fuel for ‘actual’ generation of electricity in the financial year 2021–2022, it said. The CSE also found that some of the power plants – such as Panipat and Rajiv Gandhi TPPs – have tried to get an exemption from complying with the policy on co-firing biomass by appealing to the Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) of Haryana. The commission has however denied the request. Mr Yadav said, There is an obvious reluctance in adhering to the policy on biomass co-firing by the power plants in Delhi-NCR. These plants are co-firing biomass only intermittently. A majority of the plants are apprehensive about the supply chain issues and have not taken any strong measures that will build the confidence of the pellet manufacturers or ease their concerns. After almost one and a half year of the directive issued by the Ministry of Power and the CAQM – and after the lapse of the deadline in September 2022 — the Union Environment Ministry has released a new notification on biomass co-firing on February 16. The new notification has pushed the deadlines for compliance by two more years and limited the percentage of co-firing to five per cent. Mr Yadav said, As had happened with the emission norms, the new notification has diluted the norms and pushed the deadlines for biomass co-firing, absolving the coal-based power plants from the taking the onus of slow uptake of the policy implementation.

CSE finds little progress by Delhi-NCR power plants in using biomass pellets

New notification by MoEF&CC has given plants more leeway to delay meeting the co-firing directives; supply demand gap may be fuelling slow progress Coal is to be replaced with densified biomass, called pellets, by 5-10 per cent by weight, according to a policy by Centre issued in 2021. Photo: iStock Coal is to be replaced with densified biomass, called pellets, by 5-10 per cent by weight, according to a policy by Centre issued in 2021. Photo: iStock Less than one per cent of the coal consumed every year by power plants in the National Capital Region has been replaced with agro-residues until December 2022, New Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has found. The Union Ministry of Power (MoP) mandated the use of biomass residue for co-firing in coal-based thermal power plants in October 2021. CSE has carried out a study on the 11 coal-based plants in NCR to understand the status of biomass co-firing and the reasons limiting its uptake. The report, Status of Biomass Co-firing in Coal-based Thermal Power Plants in Delhi-NCR, was published March 9, 2023 and found little progress on complying with official directives. The directive by the central ministry was introduced to address the twin challenges of curbing emissions from coal power plants and pollution from burning crop residue. Coal is to be replaced with densified biomass, called pellets, by 5-10 per cent by weight, according to the policy. Read more: Paddy straw pellets: How environment ministry’s cost estimates are way off mark Power plants seeking exemptions from co-firing are required to submit their case to the Central Electricity Authority for consideration. However, co-firing is being carried out intermittently based on biomass availability, CSE’s field survey found. Moreover, a February 2023 notification by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India has given these plants more leeway to delay meeting the directives. The new notification has pushed the deadlines for compliance by two more years and limited the percentage of co-firing to five per cent. The 11 coal-based power plants in Delhi-NCR were also given a separate direction by the Commission on Air Quality Management (CAQM) in September 2021 to co-fire biomass, stated a CSE press release. Any non-adherence to the CAQM directive is considered an offence ‘punishable with imprisonment’ for a term that may extend up to five years or with a fine of up to Rs 1 crore or both as per the CAQM Act, 2021. “As had happened with the emission norms, the new notification has diluted the norms and pushed the deadlines for biomass co-firing, absolving the coal-based power plants from taking the onus of slow uptake of the policy implementation,” said Nivit Kumar Yadav, programme director, industrial pollution, CSE. Read more: IQAir Report: Take the findings with a pinch of salt, says expert Several key reasons may be behind the slow progress of co-firing. Keeping a check on the escalating cost of biomass pellets and providing more clarity when it comes to regulatory mechanisms are two measures that can help implement the mandate, the report suggested. There is also a huge supply-demand gap, with a lack of reliable long-term supply of pellets. In Delhi-NCR, the cumulative capacity of pellet manufacturers is approximately 2,500 tonnes a day, whereas the demand is twice that. The manufacturers find selling biomass or agricultural residues to industries more lucrative and less tedious. The tender process is also time taking — power plants in Delhi-NCR have issued long-term tenders for approximately 12 million tonnes of biomass pellets; however, 73 per cent of these tenders are yet to be awarded, government records show.

Thermal power plants in Delhi-NCR not following govt order to use biomass to generate electricity CSE

Many coal-based power plants in Delhi-NCR have made very little progress on complying with directions to use biomass or agricultural residue for electricity generation, according to a new study released on Thursday. A recent (February 2023) notification by the Environment ministry has given these plants more leeway to delay meeting the directives, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which conducted the study, said. In October 2021, the Union Ministry of Power had mandated the plants to replace five to 10 per cent of the coal they use for electricity generation with biomass or agricultural residue. This was done to address the twin challenge of stubble burning and emissions. These plants had to achieve five per cent of co-firing by September 2022, and escalate it to seven per cent the following year. However, hardly any progress has been made by the plants in Delhi-NCR, the green think tank said. The 11 coal-based power plants in Delhi-NCR, in addition to adhering to the ministry's policy, were also given a separate direction by the Commission on Air Quality Management (CAQM) in September 2021 to co-fire biomass. Any non-adherence to the CAQM directive is considered an offense 'punishable with imprisonment' for a term that may extend up to five years or with fine of up to Rs 1 crore or both as per the CAQM Act, 2021. "Our study shows that cumulatively, less than one per cent of the coal consumed per year in these 11 plants had been replaced with agro-residues until December 2022," Nivit Kumar Yadav, programme director, industrial pollution, CSE, said. The key reasons for this include a huge demand-supply gap. The power plants surveyed by CSE have pointed out that they do not have reliable long-term supply of pellets. The Indira Gandhi thermal power plant in Jhajjar, Haryana, has invited manufacturers to set up a biomass pellet making unit on its premises, but the facility is yet to come up. There is a gap in demand and supply as there are a limited number of pellet manufacturers in the country, Yadav said. In Delhi-NCR, the cumulative capacity of pellet manufacturers is around 2,500 tonnes a day, whereas the demand is twice that. The manufacturers find selling biomass or agricultural residues to industries more lucrative and less tedious. They claim that the tenders issued by the power plants are not being awarded on purpose and the process is being delayed unnecessarily, the CSE said. Government records show that power plants in Delhi-NCR have issued long-term tenders for approximately 12 million tonnes of biomass pellets; however, 73 per cent of these tenders are yet to be awarded, the study said. Until December 2022, the power plants under the ownership of Haryana government — the Rajiv Gandhi TPP, Yamuna Nagar TPP, and Panipat TPP – have issued both short-term and long-term tenders, but none of these orders have been awarded. The Mahatma Gandhi TPP, Dadri TPP, and Indira Gandhi TPP are the only coal-based power plants in Delhi-NCR that have successfully placed long-term orders by December 2022, it said. The study also revealed that in five of the 11 plants —Panipat TPP, Mahatma Gandhi TPP, Nabha TPP, Ropar TPP, and Guru Hargobind TPP -- the tenders issued for biomass pellets are of much lesser quantity than required for replacement of five per cent of the coal-based fuel for 'actual' generation of electricity in the financial year 2021–2022, it said. The CSE also found that some of the power plants – such as Panipat and Rajiv Gandhi TPPs – have tried to get an exemption from complying with the policy on co-firing biomass by appealing to the Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) of Haryana. The commission has however denied the request. "There is an obvious reluctance in adhering to the policy on biomass co-firing by the power plants in Delhi-NCR. These plants are co-firing biomass only intermittently. A majority of the plants are apprehensive about the supply chain issues and have not taken any strong measures that will build the confidence of the pellet manufacturers or ease their concerns," Yadav said. After almost one and a half year of the directive issued by the Ministry of Power and the CAQM – and after the lapse of the deadline in September 2022 -- the Union Environment Ministry has released a new notification on biomass co-firing on February 16. The new notification has pushed the deadlines for compliance by two more years and limited the percentage of co-firing to five per cent. "As had happened with the emission norms, the new notification has diluted the norms and pushed the deadlines for biomass co-firing, absolving the coal-based power plants from the taking the onus of slow uptake of the policy implementation," Yadav said. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)

Delhi proposes “community solar rooftops” to encourage renewable growth

In its latest draft Solar Policy 2022, the Delhi government has proposed the concept of community solar rooftops for individual consumers who do not have the option or space to setup solar panels. The state’s last solar policy in 2016 targetted achieving 1,000 Megawatt of rooftop solar by 2020. However, till now, it has been able to achieve only around 230 MW from the rooftop sector. Experts cite a lack of attractive incentives for domestic rooftop solar projects and competition from the existing free grid electricity scheme for the poor uptake of solar rooftop systems by consumers. The National Capital of Delhi’s last Solar Policy in 2016 had announced a target of around 1,000 Megawatt (MW) of installed capacity of solar energy from solar rooftop setups, by the end of 2020. However, according to the government, so far, it has achieved a capacity of 230 MW of rooftop solar – that’s less than 25% of the target that was supposed to be met three years ago. This is despite incentives offered to consumers and industries as well as the decision to make solar rooftops mandatory for all government buildings with more than 500 square meters of roof space. Even as the 2016 Policy’s 1,000 MW target is yet to be achieved, the Delhi government has now brought out a new draft Solar Policy 2022 which proposes to increase its growth of solar rooftops. The draft policy now targets an installed capacity of solar rooftops to 750 MW and adding 5,250 MW of utility-scale solar projects from outside Delhi – making it a total of 6,000 MW installed solar capacity – in the next three years (by 2025-26). The policy says that while currently nine percent of Delhi’s total annual electricity demand is met through rooftop and utility scale solar, it plans to increase the share of solar energy in annual electricity, to 25 percent by the end of 2025. The policy aims, by the end of 2025, to have higher solar installed capacity than thermal. The government has also introduced the concept of community solar rooftops where people who, either do not have rooftops, have smaller rooftops or live in apartments and complexes, can come together to install solar panels at one site and share the benefits based on their shared investments. This would be possible through group net-metering or virtual metering. The government claims, in the policy, that it is aiding domestic consumers to avoid the large upfront cost of setting up rooftop solar by offering a Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) Model. In this model, a solar developer bears the upfront cost for installing the system at the consumer’s premises and charges a fixed fee. The policy proposes a “hybrid” version of the RESCO model where it combines the net-metering agreements between the consumers and the discoms with the power purchase agreements between the discoms and solar developers. In the policy, the Delhi government also claims it is enabling generation-based incentives for commercial and industrial consumers up to 500 MW of first deployment, in addition to the support offered to domestic consumers. It also introduces the facility of free assessment of rooftops by prospective consumers and the creation of a solar card report/solar score that talks about the potential of solar rooftops on that site. Can we expect scaling up of rooftop solar? Experts working in the sector said that some new elements in the 2022 draft policy are likely to give an impetus to the sector. Binit Das, Deputy Programme Manager (Renewable Energy) at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) told Mongabay-India that the main hurdles that solar rooftop in cities such as Delhi faces are the higher upfront cost for domestic consumers, delayed disbursement of rooftop solar subsidies and the loss of revenues of discoms with the rise of solar consumers in the city. He said that in the national capital, the commercial and industrial players with higher power demands adopted solar power more to reduce their power bills.

Water purifying plant selling fake bottled water sealed in Gurugram’s Palam Vihar

A water purifying plant in Palam Vihar, allegedly operating without valid licences and supplying bottled water under fake labels, was sealed on Wednesday, officials said, adding that they are presently drawing up a lost of all such units and a crackdown is planned in the days ahead as the demand for bottled water is set to soar during summer months. Further, the plant was allegedly drawing groundwater from an unauthorised borewell since the past year and a half and filtering it with a reverse osmosis (RO) purifier, officials said. The staff at the plant have allegedly admitted that they also filled untreated groundwater in bottles meant for sale, police officers said. The plant, which extracts and process about 500 litres of groundwater daily, supplied drinking water canisters to residential, commercial, and industrial units. Police have identified its owner as Sukha Singh, a resident of Sirsa, and said an investigation has been initiated in the matter, and appropriate action will be taken. “We received a tip-off that a house in Block H of Palam Vihar was being used for processing water illegally. We formed a joint team of officials from the electricity department, food and safety department and the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram to conduct a search at the plant,” said Inderjeet Yadav, deputy superintendent of police. According to the officer, they found a large number of fake labels of companies such as Bisleri, Aquafina and Kingfisher, which were allegedly being used to sell the packaged water. Police also found two vehicles filled with water bottles parked at the spot. The search was part of the district administration’s crackdown against such units in the city. “The plant owner, Sukha Singh of Sirsa, was running the illegal RO plant since the past year and a half. The land was taken on a monthly rent of ₹15,000,” the DSP said. “The units were found supplying drinking water bottles without any clearance or permission. They also had machines to seal bottles and thousands of printed labels,” said Harish Kumar, inspector, chief minister’s flying squad, which conducted the search. Kumar said the plant was selling 20 litre bottles for ₹60-90 in residential, commercial and industrial areas. “They used to supply at least 700 bottles daily to consumers and their clientele included confectionary shops and establishments in upscale localities. The quality of water is never inspected at these units and they do not have any clearance to sell groundwater,” he said. The search team collected water samples from the spot, the officer said, and these will be sent for further testing. Police said the plant was also using a domestic electricity connection for commercial purposes. MCG commissioner PC Meena said action will be taken against the owner after a notice is served on him. “We are awaiting results of the samples and are verifying facts based on which the land owner will also be served a notice for renting property for illegal activities,” he said. Gurugram, which has always depended heavily on groundwater for want of clean drinking sources in its vicinity, is now in a crisis because its groundwater table has been declining rapidly – from half-a-metre per year until four years ago to 1m per year since then--shows data from the hydrology department. According to a study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Gurugram’s water table is shrinking by 1-3 metres a year due to unchecked extraction. One of the staff working at the plant said 500 litres of groundwater is extracted daily and sold in the market from the unit. “We sell a 20 litre bottle to shopkeepers for ₹60 and directly to residents for ₹90 and we pose as distributors. The demand has increased in the past two months,” he said, asking not to be named. Gurugram deputy commissioner (DC) Nishant Kumar Yadav said they have formed a team to examine the water situation across the city and will take action against such illegal water purifying plants. “We will collect data from the Haryana water resources and verify the number of licences they have issued to bottling plants in Gurugram. Also, the pollution control board will be the nodal agency to crack down on these illegal establishments. We will prepare a list of all such units area wise after verification,” he said. According to experts, the exploitation of groundwater for construction, a rapid population growth and the absence of rainwater harvesting systems in the city have led to a gross imbalance between groundwater extraction and regeneration, leading to the alarming decline in the water table

TNM Editor-in-Chief Dhanya Rajendran to receive Chameli Devi Jain Award 2022

"Dhanya Rajendran's reportage is an outstanding example of how good journalism can impact democracy," Harish Khare, chair of the Media Foundation, said. Dhanya Rajendran, co-founder and the Editor-in-Chief of The News Minute, has been announced as the recipient of the Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Women Mediapersons 2022. Naming Dhanya as this year’s recipient, a three-member jury comprising columnist Nidhi Razdan, National Rural Affairs and Agriculture Editor at The Indian Express Harish Damodaran, and PTI Bhasha Editor Nirmal Pathak, said that her work showed a blend of meticulous reportage and data reflecting not only individual merit, but the pursuit of committed journalism. Instituted in 1982, the prestigious annual award is administered by the Media Foundation, and recognises women mediapersons in India who have made an impact with their reporting on themes such as social development, politics, equity, gender justice, health, war and conflict, consumer values, and democratic rights. "Rajendran's reportage is an outstanding example of how good journalism can impact democracy," Harish Khare, chair of the Media Foundation, said in a statement. This year, the Media Foundation received over 70 entries from all over India, according to the statement. The award will be presented on March 21 at the India International Centre in Delhi. Among past recipients of the Chameli Devi Jain Award are Chitra Subramaniam, co-founder of The News Minute, and many other distinguished women journalists such as Sevanti Ninan, Kalpana Sharma, Sucheta Dalal, Teesta Setalvad, Pamela Philipose, Barkha Dutt, Sunita Narain, Shahina KK, Supriya Sharma, Raksha Kumar, Neha Dixit, and Rohini Mohan.