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Coal washing not mandatory for supply to thermal plants: Environment min

Five years after the government, in laying down its climate-change targets, committed to have mandatory coal washing, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has done away with it. In a gazette notification on Thursday, the ministry amended the Environment Protection Act to drop mandatorily washing coal for supply to thermal power plants. “Use of coal by Thermal Power Plants, without stipulations as regards ash content or distance shall be permitted,” said the gazette notification. Business Standard has reviewed the gazette notification. In 2015, as part of its climate-change commitments, the government had made coal washing mandatory for supply to all thermal units more than 500 km from the coal mine. This was in keeping with India’s stand to not reduce coal consumption but rather focus on emission control. The ministry, in its guidelines issued the same year, said “power stations located 500-750 km, 750-1,000 km would be supplied coal with ash content not exceeding 34 per cent on a quarterly average basis w.e.f January 01, 2016”. It asked the coal companies to supply washed/blended or beneficiated coal. The move to abolish coal washing has come barely 15 days after the ministry issued a draft note for stakeholders to submit their views on this. The gazette notification cited the ministry, which said speedy legislative action was needed in wake of the pandemic. “(The) ministry has represented that in view of the existing unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic …, it is desirable to issue the notification at the earliest,” said the notification. The ministry is of the view that the requirement of maintaining an average ash content of 34 per cent prompts industries to import, resulting in an outflow of foreign exchange. The ministry in a separate policy proposal has asked the thermal power sector to source coal domestically. This paper had reported the ministry had proposed doing away with coal washing because it did not bring down the ash content in coal. According to industry calculations, washing improves the quality of coal by reducing ash content to 33-34 per cent from the earlier 40-45 in average Indian coal. The ministry has instead directed thermal power plants to install the technology for handling ash content. Earlier the ministry had advocated pollution-control technologies such as Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) at the end of power generation units. Several industry executives had contested it, saying it was not an alternative to coal washing. FGD at thermal stations is mandatory under the new emission control norms, 2015. A report by the Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) recently said 70 per cent of India’s coal-powered capacity would miss the FGD deadline of 2022. The coal-washing industry is up in arms against the notification. Several representatives said the ministry did not acknowledge their response to the earlier draft note contesting the decision. “As stakeholders in the coal washing industry, we had submitted our contentions to the MoEFFC. Neither physical nor emailed copies of our views were acknowledged by the ministry,” said an executive not wanting to be named. The thermal power would also be mandated to comply with ash utilisation notifications issued by the ministry and also install appropriate technology solutions to optimise water consumption for ash management,” said the gazette. During 2019-20 (first half), of 105 coal based units monitored by the government, only 39 had 100 per cent ash utilisation at their end, according to data by Central Electricity Authority. Medical councils globally consider fly ash as a health hazard leading to severe lung and breathing diseases. | May 25, 2020

These webinars hosted by wastemanagement company Ceiba Green Solutions will keep your green thumbs busy

The latest is that together with Upcycler's Lab, Mumbai, Ceiba Green Solutions are going to coming up with a board game very soon and it will be about waste management and segregation. How's that? Okay, okay we know you have had enough of webinars and live sessions, but you got to check this one out. Ceiba Green Solutions, the waste management company initiated by Arctic explorer Neelima Mishra, is the host and the guests have been the queen of composting Vani Murthy, giving lessons on Muzaffarnagar municipality composting was Dinesh Bandella from Centre for Science and Environment and so many others. To know what's in store for you, keep following their updates and who knows, your li'l green heart which beats for the environment might find the right direction. "The focus was to offer simple lessons which people can follow at home," says Neelima who won the Edex 40 Under 40 award last year for her contributions to the environment. And the focus of her company Ceiba Green Solutions, which she started in December 2019, is all about spreading awareness about waste management. Though Neelima has been known to conduct workshops in educational institutions and companies even before being selected for Climate Force: Arctic 2019 Expedition, led by the man who has explored both the poles of the Earth, Robert Swan, she streamlined the workshops and her other activities to form this company. So if you are a company or an organisation struggling to be more green, just get them on board. After conducting a waste audit to understand how much and what kind of waste is generated at your place, they teach you (or the staff) to segregate it and dispose it of accordingly. "We follow the 2Bin1Bag policy, wherein, the two bins are for recyclable and non-recyclable waste while the bag is for hazardous or rejects," explains the 34-year-old. While Jamshedpur-born Neelima has covered about 10 schools and seven corporates through her workshops, the other way she is helping people develop environmental consciousness by retailing a few products like bamboo toothbrush, steel straws, natural loofah and more. "We had exhibited them at the Waste Management Expo and Conference and MSME Fair and they were quite a hit," she shares. So, the plan going forward is to help people compost right at home. "We have procured simple composting bins, raw materials and mesh and want to launch this project soon," informs Neelima. Delving deeper into the subject of waste management, the environmental activist shares that, "Plastic is not evil, we just need to learn how to manage it. The question is about reusable vs disposables. Go for something which will last long-term and avoid anything that you have to throw away after single-use," she advices and concludes. Our single-use plastic sins: - Four trillion plastic bags are used worldwide annually and only one per cent are returned for recycling - 500 billion disposable cups are consumed every year - Half a million straws are used in the world every day - Humans buy about 10,00,000 plastic bottles per minute in total | May 25, 2020

Dealing with biomedical waste in the time of Covid-19 presents huge challenge

NEW DELHI: India has specific rules to deal with biomedical waste, but the Covid- 19 presented a unique challenge before the country where it has currently to deal with unestimated amount of biomedical waste (BMW) exclusively from dedicated Covid hospitals, quarantine centres and home quarantine facilities in cities/towns and district/block headquarters. The task has become all the more difficult as many states lack strict monitoring mechanism. Underlining this new challenge of treating such waste as novel coronavirus can potentially survive in the environment for several hours/days, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had in April issued a detailed guidelines on handing Covidlinked biomedical waste (BMW) and launched a dedicated mobile App last week to track its collection and disposal. It specified scientific ways to collect, transport and dispose of such waste and asked state pollution control boards/committee to adhere to it while monitoring the entire process. The guidelines carry specific dos and don’ts for handing Covid-19 related BMW — categorised yellow for highly infectious waste — at healthcare facilities, quarantine camps/homes, home care facilities, sample collection centre, laboratories, isolation wards and Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility (CBWTF). TOI has checked how the states have been handling the Covid-linked BMW and found that many states have assigned this job to empaneled private agencies and deployed dedicated vehicles for waste transportation till CBWTF. The civic bodies in many cities have also engaged trained manpower for its collection from quarantine homes/centres and home-care facilities. But, who is responsible for monitoring all these activities to ensure that the guidelines are strictly followed to handle the high risk waste? “It’s the responsibility of the respective state pollution control boards/committees to maintain records of Covid-19 treatment wards / quarantine centers / quarantines homes and ensure proper collection and disposal of biomedical waste as per our guidelines,” said Prashant Gargava, member secretary, CPCB. He told TOI that the Board has launched a mobile App - COVID19BMW - and asked all BMW generators to register on this for submit the data related to the Covidlinked biomedical waste. “Those data are cross-checked with states and CBWTFs on daily basis,” said Gargava. But, what about the place where the CBWTF doesn’t exist. The CPCB guidelines, in that case, say that the existing captive facilities of any hospital may be identified for disposal of Covid-19 waste as per provisions under existing BMW Management Rules, 2016. In case of generation of large volume of yellow color coded (incinerable) Covid-19 waste in non-CBWTF remote areas, the guidelines also permit “use of deep burial pits for disposal of yellow category waste as per standards prescribed” in the existing Rules. The guidelines recommends providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to all workers who are engaged in disposing of such waste and asked civic bodies to make provisions of segregation of waste using colour-coded bins, bags and containers. It advised agencies to even treat the faeces from COVID-19 confirmed patient, who is unable to use toilets and if excreta is collected in diapers, as biomedical waste. These detailed revised guidelines, sent to all states on April 19, are based on current knowledge on the novel coronavirus and existing practices in management of infectious waste generated while treating viral and contagious diseases like HIV and H1N1. The CPCB had brought its first guidelines on the subject in March. Officials hinted at possibility of other guidelines, if at all it is needed, on the basis of ground experience and best practices followed in different countries for disposing of Covid-linked BMW. The New Delhi-based think-tank, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), had recently analysed implementation of the BMW Management Rules, 2016 and found many lapses on the ground, noting that the in some states, the required facility does not exist at all while in others even the contractors have yet not been appointed. “We found that the incinerators at the facility have not been upgraded as per the CPCB directions. The upgradation is required so that the ‘yellow’ category waste (highly infectious waste) is burnt at the right temperature and it does not lead to toxic emissions. This is critical also in Covid-19 related BMW,” said Sunita Narain, environmentalist and director general of the CSE. In the context of Covid-linked BMW, she said, “Most of the waste will be yellow category and therefore the upgrading of the incinerator must be done without losing time. The CPCB needs to get a nationwide report on what is the status and get this done.” Pointing at inadequate monitoring system, Narain said, “We found the key weakness is that the bar-codes provisions -- as stipulated in the rules -- have not been implemented by many states. This means that waste collected and treated cannot be tracked. Rules also provide for GPS which is to be installed in all transport vehicles, but this is not done in most cases. For Covid-19 related BMW, all this becomes critical. These weaknesses must be fixed urgently.” Different state pollution control boards have, however, been sensitised by the CPCB. The state agencies have, on their parts, been sharing their experiences on a daily basis with the central pollution watchdog. A couple of states have set up a dedicated mechanism to monitor collection and disposal of the Covid-19 related BMW while others gave this responsibility to teams that have been taking infection control measures. The Uttar Pradesh government has set up district level committees, headed by an additional chief medical officer, to undertake infection control measures and monitor disposal of biomedical waste. The teams, including representatives from the UP pollution control board, are also expected to check BMW disposal in non- Covid private hospitals. Many states have deployed private agencies for the jobs and asked respective pollution control boards or committees to monitor it on daily basis. Deputy municipal commissioner (Sanitation) of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, Pradip Dasarwar, told TOI that the civic body has engaged a private agency which collects biomedical waste from over 1800 institutions including 632 private hospitals/clinics, OPDs, pathology laboratories, radiology centres etc. “So far, the NMC has not received any complaints pertaining to throwing of biomedical waste openly,” he claimed. The West Bengal government too has engaged empanelled private agencies for collection and disposal of BMW, but the state doesn’t have clear-cut policy on the waste disposal from households where people are kept in home isolation. “I have already sent a letter to our chief minister underlining the danger lies in the disposal system where the biomedical wastes getting mixed with municipal waste and going straight to Dhapa landfill site,” said the Kolkata-based environment crusader Subhas Datta, who on last Thursday moved a petition to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the erratic disposal of biomedical waste in the city. “What I want is the compliance of the CPCB guidelines in disposing of the biomedical wastes related to Covid-19,” he said. The CPCB guidelines have specific provisions on how to collect and dispose off used PPE and N95 masks. It also asks health departments of all states to provide adequate PPE including three layer masks, splash proof gowns, nitrile gloves, gum boots and safety goggles to workers at the CBWTF. “These PPE are required to be worn all the time while collecting of waste from quarantine centre/homes or waste deposition centre”, it said. The CPCB also asked the urban local bodies to provide yellow colored bags (designated for BMW) to the persons responsible for operating Quarantine Camp or home-care. “If required, such bags may be provided through CBWTF,” it said. (Inputs from Bengaluru, Chennai, Nagpur, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Patna, Bhubaneshwar, Jaipur, Lucknow and Kochi)

Pandemic sets back Delhi govt’s bus procurement project by a year

The demand for more buses assumes more importance now as the 2,000 buses presently plying are allowed to carry only 20 passengers each due to social distancing norms against the usual capacity of 40. The Delhi government’s project to strengthen the Capital’s public transport system by adding a new bus fleet has been adversely affected by the nationwide lockdown imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19 as the procurement and arrival of more than 2,800 buses is set to be delayed by almost a year due to revenue shortfall and limitations in manufacturing, according to senior government officials. The demand for more buses assumes more importance now as the 2,000 buses presently plying are allowed to carry only 20 passengers each due to social distancing norms against the usual capacity of 40. The average daily ridership of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) before the lockdown was around 4 million. The Delhi government on July 11 last year announced its final procurement plan for 4,000 buses -- all of which should have arrived maximum by this month, according to the schedule shared by the authorities at that time. Ten months later, 1,150 buses including 1,000 non-AC standard-floor and 150 AC low-floor buses, are plying on Delhi’s roads. Transport minister Kailash Gahlot said the government’s procurement schedule of the 1,000 DTC buses, 1,000 electric buses and 1,000 low-floor CNG buses could now take one full year to be completed. He said in the best-case scenario, a first batch (100 or so) of the remaining 2,850 buses could arrive only by the end of this year. “The delay will not just be because of the financial constraints we are facing at the moment, but also because of problems faced by bus manufacturers owning to the lockdown. Thankfully, we at least received all of the 1,000 CNG standard-floor buses before the lockdown began on March 25,” Gahlot said. The government was to receive about 100 AC low-floor buses from JBM Auto Ltd. in April. But they could not arrive because the lockdown got extended. “Even though the restrictions have been relaxed , these buses, even if they arrive in Delhi, cannot be used because they are BS-IV vehicles and could not be registered by April 30, the deadline set by Supreme Court for the registration of BS-IV vehicles,” said one of the officials cited above. Bus manufacturer JBM Auto Limited said it is awaiting directions from the government with regard to the registration of BS-4 buses that was delayed due to the lockdown, so that their buses can be put to use. “The company re-opened its plant in Kosi only a week ago and that it is facing shortage of manpower. We are working only on one shift as there is very limited manpower. Many of our workers are in their home towns. Only maintenance work is being carried out as of now. A few people have been issued passes in our plant by the UP government to comply with the Covid-19 guidelines,” said Nishant Arya, Executive Director, JBM Group. Delhi has a fleet of 6,487 buses of which more than 2,000 are being used for public transport and around 1,400 are on Covid- 19 duty. A reason for not being able to run the remaining buses is that the drivers and conductors who live in NCR cities such as Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad or Faridabad are facing issues in reaching the depots due to border restrictions by UP and Haryana According to a second senior official cited above, the lockdown forced DTC to ask finance department to utilise funds (amounting to Rs 325.5 crore and meant to meant for procuring 1,000 AC low-floor buses) to pay salaries to its employees in the coming months if its financial situation does not improve. The main components of DTC’s operating cost are wages and salaries, accounting for around 60%, fuel (CNG), which accounts for nearly 20%, and annual maintenance (nearly 10%). With public transport shut for more than 50 days and schools closed, DTC is losing more than Rs 2 crore every day in revenue from bus journeys -- who us saying this. To foot the bills for salaries, pensions, statutory and other liabilities, DTC utilised Rs 512.50 crore, which the Delhi government disbursed to the corporation as grant-in-aid for the first quarter of 2020-21. According to the Delhi economic survey 2018-19, the working losses of DTC were Rs 1,750.37 crore. A fresh tender for 1,000 electric buses also could be floated not before July, a third official said. The officials said restrictions in the number of passengers in public transport will continue till things normalise. Delhi Metro, which carries around 2.7 million passengers daily, is also shut, putting extra load on DTC. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment, said there could be some learnings from the challenge. “Social distancing rules have given an opportunity to explore ways of decongesting public transport for the future. Even when the Metro opens, it would not suffice because of the new rules. So, the government must use whatever resources are available. Hiring private buses immediately is need of the hour,” she said.

70% thermal power capacity to miss emission control norms: CSE study

The report comes at a time when India has opened doors for private investors for commercial coal mining and sale in open market In the case of PM, 7 GW of thermal capacity is compliant, while upgrades are underway in another 14 Gw. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has observed in a recent study that close to 70 per cent of India's coal-based power generation will miss the emission norms that were to be met by 2022. The report comes at a time when India has opened doors for private investors for commercial coal mining and sale in open market. Also, recently, as this paper reported, the Central government is also planning to do away with mandatory washing of coal before it is transported to thermal plants to reduce emissions. "Our assessment finds that even after seven years since the notification and even after the agreed five-year extension given to this sector in 2017, most of the installed coal-fired capacity will not be compliant with crucial sulphur dioxide (SO2) standards by 2022,” said Sunita Narain, director general, CSE, said India introduced new emission and water use norms for the coal-based thermal power units in 2015. The deadline suggested then was December 2017. CSE pointed out that the thermal power industry “began a sustained campaign to first obstruct and prevaricate, and then to dilute and delay the implementation of the norms.” After missing that deadline, the new target has now been set to 2022 for the implementation of the emission norms. When implemented, the norms can lead to a significant reduction in emissions and dip in water use by the sector, said CSE in its report titled, ‘Coal-based power norms: Where do we stand today’. Major pollutants from coal-fired thermal power plants are oxides of nitrogen (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter (PM). Thermal power units are also extremely water-intensive. Estimates by CSE indicate, thermal units are responsible for 70 per cent of the total freshwater withdrawal by all industries. They also account for over 60 per cent of total industrial emissions of particulate matter; 45 per cent of SO2; 30 per cent of NOx; and more than 80 per cent of mercury, in the country. In the case of PM, 7 GW of thermal capacity is compliant, while upgrades are underway in another 14 Gw. In the case of SO2, 16 GW capacity has complied; 32 GW has awarded tenders; 125 GW is still at the preliminary stages of feasibility study and tenders; and another 9 GW has no plans for installation. It is highly unlikely for units still at preliminary stages or with no plan to meet the 2022 deadline even if they awarded the tenders now, it said. “It takes at least two years for a station to complete FGD construction. Hence, a coalbased power project with a 2022 deadline should have begun construction by 2019,” the report observed. Under the guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board, close to 50 gigawatt of thermal power capacity needs to install emission control systems at their plants. FGD or Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) is installed at the power generation units to reduce emission. According to a submission made by private power generators, FGD cost is around Rs 40 Lakh per MW. CSE said, centre-owned plants appear which are leading in implementation of SO2 norms, followed by privately-owned ones. State-owned units have made no progress on implementation – only one plant has awarded tenders so far. India’s total installed power generation capacity stands at 367 gigawatt. Coal continues to be the bulk energy provider, making up 205 GW or 89 per cent of the thermal power capacity. “We cannot accept that we will continue to use coal without emission control. We want growth post-lockdown, but it has to be a growth which comes with our right to clean air. This must be equally important,” said the report.

Why govt must incentivise power plants for reducing emissions

A report released by CSE suggested that the government should come up with a mechanism which would incentivise the power plants that invest in upgrading their technologies to reduce emissions and formulate disincentives for the laggards. Power plants which are taking no actions to install equipment to reduce emissions should face punitive action from the government, environment experts said. A report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Thursday suggested that the government should come up with a mechanism which would incentivise the power plants that invest in upgrading their technologies to reduce emissions and formulate disincentives for the laggards. Referring to a report by the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, Sunita Narain, director general at CSE, said that the government can design the merit order despatch — the system which allows power plants with lower variable cost to sell power first — so that it will incentivise the plants that install pollution control equipment. Coal-based power contributes to pollutants such as oxides of nitrogen (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter (PM). In addition, the sector is also very water-intensive. Though Indian coal has low sulphur content, experts at CSE pointed out that due to its low calorific value, the volume of coal required is significantly high, leading to higher S02 emissions. Referring to satellite data, the report pointed that high S02 concentration are found in areas in Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, which have large coal-fired capacities. Coal-based power plants across the country are in the process of installing flue gas de-sulphurisation (FGD) units and electrostatic precipitators (ESP) and upgrading existing equipment to meet the environmental norms. It requires an estimated Rs 27 lakh-45 lakh per MW for FGD installation, necessitating a rise of Rs 0.62-0.93/unit in power tariffs. As reported earlier by FE, about 14,000 MW of power plants around the national capital region have missed the first deadline of installing FGDs by December, 2019. Another 26,330-MW power capacities are required to set up FGD units in 2020, 64,268 MW in 2021 and 64,055 MW in 2022. CLP India’s 1,320 MW Jhajjar power plant is currently the only station to have commissioned such equipment. Finance is the biggest hurdle in this exercise, especially at state-owned and private plants. The sector is hardly in the best of health, with plants facing low capacity utilisation due to less-thanexpected growth in demand. A section of the industry has pointed that coal washing can solve the problem of S02 emissions, and the expenses on costly FGDs need not be made.

India's 70% coal-fired power plants may not meet 2022 emission norms: CSE

Even as the government has decided to allow commercial mining of coal, a study done by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has found that 70 per cent of India's coal fired power plants may not meet the more stringent emission norms that kick into effect in 2022. The new norms that seek to reduce particulate matter emissions by 35 per cent, sulphur dioxide by 80 per cent and nitrous oxide by 42 per cent were originally slated to kick in by 2017 but were relaxed by 5 years to let the power sector ready itself. CSE fears government's intent of expediting and enhancing coal mining in the country may also result in higher pollution if the power sector is not reigned in. ALSO READ: Coal mining reform: Effects in medium term, no relief from COVID-19, says CARE Ratings "We cannot accept that we will continue to use coal without emission control. We want growth post-lockdown, but it has to be a growth which comes with our right to clean air. This must be equally important," says Sunita Narain, director, CSE. "Our assessment finds that most of the total installed coal-fired capacity will not be compliant with the crucial sulphur dioxide (SO2) standards by 2022." Coal accounts for 56 per cent of power generated in India and accounts for over 60 per cent of particulate matter emissions, 45 per cent of sulphur, 30 per cent of nitrogen oxides and over 80 per cent of mercury emissions in the country. It also consumes 70 per cent of total fresh water that is used for industrial purposes in the country. ALSO READ: Big beneficiaries of Tranche IV stimulus: Adani, Vedanta, Tata Power, Anil Ambani's Reliance "Coal-fired power plants are some of the most polluting industries in the country. Therefore, even as we continue using coal, India's thermal power sector must clean up its act. This is absolutely non-negotiable," Narain says. CSE has demanded hefty penalties on plants that end up not meeting the 2022 deadline and for the government to not extend it further. Further, it wants older plants that do not meet even the current regulations to be either refurbished at the earliest, or shut down.

70% power plants won’t meet emission standards by 2022 deadline: CSE

It recommends that Environment Ministry issue directions and impose fines on plants that won’t meet deadline. A report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Thursday said that with just two years to go, 70% of the country's power plants won’t be able to meet the stringent emission standards that will come into effect in 2022. The standards set by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in December 2015 were based on global standards, it said. CSE director general Sunita Narain said in a statement, “Our assessment finds that even after seven years since the notification and even after the agreed five-year extension given to this sector in 2017, most of the total installed coal-fired capacity will not be compliant with the crucial sulphur dioxide (SO2) standards by 2022.” Lack of information The CSE said there was lack of information in the public domain about the compliance with particulate matter or nitrogen oxide standards. “Coal-fired power plants are some of the most polluting industries in the country. They account for over 60% of the total PM emissions from all industry, as well as 45% of the SO2, 30% of oxides of nitrogen and over 80% of the mercury emissions. Therefore, even as we continue using coal, India’s thermal power sector must clean up its act. This is absolutely non-negotiable,” Ms. Narain said. The CSE report said the implementation of the stringent standards would, according to rough estimates, reduce emissions of PM by 35%, SO2 by 80% and NOx by 42%. Power plants with 97GW capacity were compliant with the standards so far and 14GW was in the upgrade process, the report said. “Total compliance and non-compliance could not be ascertained as no information was available on the status of progress of an additional 69 GW capacity.” For SO2, 16GW capacity was compliant and tenders had been awarded with respect to 32GW capacity and preliminary work was on for 125 GW capacity, while there were no plans for 9GW capacity. “It is highly unlikely for units still at preliminary stages or with no plan to meet the 2022 deadline even if they awarded the tenders now. It takes at least two years for a station to complete FGD (flue-gas desulfurisation) construction. Hence, a coal-based power project with a 2022 deadline should have begun construction by 2019,” the report said. It recommended that the Environment Ministry issue directions and impose fines on the plants that won’t meet the 2022 deadline.

Indian coal plants unlikely to meet pollution norms: CSE

A new study report by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) finds that almost 70 per cent of India’s coal-fired power plants will not meet revised emission standards that come into effect in two years. The norms were set in December 2015 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). “Even after seven years since the notification and even after the agreed five-year extension given to this sector in 2017, most of the total installed coal-fired capacity will not be compliant with the crucial sulphur dioxide (SO2) standards by 2022,” says CSE director general Sunita Narain. The study comes in the wake of the Government of India throwing open the coal mining sector to private sector majors, even as efforts are on globally to phase out the usage of the highly polluting energy source to control climate change. “Given the thrust of the Indian government to expedite and enhance coal mining in the country, our study gains urgency,” CSE said. “We cannot accept that we will continue to use coal without emission control. We want growth post lockdown, but it has to be a growth which comes with our right to clean air. This must be equally important,” the environmental NGO emphasized. Narain says there is little information in the public domain about compliance levels for dust or other pollutants like NOx standards. “Certainly, there is no direction to the thermal power plants that they must meet the crucial water standards, which would make this water-guzzling sector more responsible on its usage,” she says. Coal-fired power plants are some of the most polluting industries in the country, estimated to account for over 60 per cent of the total particulate matter (PM) emissions from all industry, as well as 45 per cent of the SO2, 30 per cent of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and over 80 per cent of the mercury emissions. The sector is responsible for 70 per cent of total freshwater withdrawal by all industries in the country, according to the NGO. “Therefore, even as we continue using coal, India’s thermal power sector must clean up its act. This is absolutely non-negotiable,” adds Narain. Nevertheless, coal is the mainstay of India’s power sector with 56 per cent of generation capacity being based on it. The share of actual power generated will be higher, as coal plants can run 24×7, unlike solar and hydro electric projects, which face fluctuations in their energy supply. The CSE says that the 2015 standards can cut down emissions of particles by 35 per cent, SO2 by 80 per cent, and NOx by 42 per cent, while bringing down freshwater use. The sector, however, has been far from forthcoming in accepting the norms, the environmental organization complains. RECOMMENDATIONS CSE has urged the environment ministry to issue directions and impose hefty fines on the plants which are not on the path to meeting the 2022 deadline. “High penalties/closure notices should be issued for non-compliant Delhi-NCR airshed plants at least for the peak winter pollution months. Take urgent decision regarding the older plants which cannot meet the already lax emission standards. “These must be retired/refurbished to use alternative fuels or move towards using the plants for biomass gasification or ultra-modern municipal waste processing units.” “We know that this sector, which provides energy to the country’s industry and households, is difficult to shut down,” says Narain. “Therefore, there is insufficient deterrence which is clearly derailing the implementation efforts – as a result of which power plants continue to flout all directions. We are suggesting that there should be changes in the merit order dispatch system so that it provides an effective tool to incentivise the cleaner plants and reward the best performers, while also disincentivising units that do not adhere to standards.”

Most India coal plants may miss emission deadline, study ays

A majority of India’s coal-fired power stations may miss deadlines to curb toxic emissions, hurting efforts to curb air pollution, according to non-profit group Centre for Science and Environment. A majority of India’s coal-fired power stations may miss deadlines to curb toxic emissions, hurting efforts to curb air pollution, according to non-profit group Centre for Science and Environment. As much as 70% of the country’s coal-fired capacity is at risk of missing the 2022 deadline for capping emissions of sulfur di-oxide, the environment group, also called CSE, said in a report. MORE FROM THIS SECTIONSee All Health workers in PPE kit at banquet hall which converted into COVID care center in New Delhi on Tuesday. (ANI Photo) Early trend of decline in daily new Covid cases and deaths noted in India: Govt 2 min read . 04:59 PM IST Dr Balram Bhargava, Director General, ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) briefs media over COVID-19, in New Delhi on Tuesday. (ANI Photo) India's Covid-19 positivity rate around 21%: Govt 2 min read . 04:54 PM IST China's working-age population, or people aged between 16 and 59, stands at 880 million China's population grows at slowest pace to 1.412 bn, may begin to decline by next year 4 min read . 04:36 PM IST The Karnataka CM visited a Covid war room in Bengaluru and took the information regarding hospital beds, oxygen facility and status of essential drugs. 'Vacate beds, don't unnecessarily overstay in hospitals', says Karnataka CM 1 min read . 04:32 PM IST Indian power generators have moved slowly on implementing the pollution standards, voicing concerns ranging from high costs to financing challenges and lack of regulatory clarity. Business disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic may exacerbate those worries. In addition, the government plans to open up coal mining to the private sector, an indication the polluting fuel will remain the mainstay of the country’s energy needs. “We cannot accept that we will continue to use coal without emission control," CSE said in an emailed statement about the report. “We want growth post-lockdown, but it has to be a growth which comes with our right to clean air. This must be equally important." There’s little information in the public domain on compliance with nitrogen oxides and particulate matter standards, CSE said in the statement. India’s environment ministry introduced the emission rules in Dec. 2015 and gave the plants two years to comply. The deadline was later extended to as late as 2022. A bunch of plants close to capital New Delhi have already missed their Dec. 2019 deadlines for installation of the anti-pollution equipment. Coal-fired power plants supply nearly 70% of India’s electricity and have an important role in the country’s economy. Yet, they’re are among the biggest sources of pollution, accounting for more than 60% of the particulate matter emissions from all industry, as well as 45% of sulfur di-oxide releases, according to CSE. With nationwide implementation of the emission standards, India could avoid more than 300,000 premature deaths through 2030, according to a study by Bengaluru-based Center for Study of Science, Technology & Policy.

70 per cent of coal-fired power plants may not meet emission standards by 2022, says CSE

NEW DELHI: A new study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has found that almost 70% of the coal-fired power plants in India may not meet environmental norms (emission standards) by 2022 - five year after their extended deadline - the way they are still not compliant on many critical green issues. The study flagged the overall impact of coal-based plants on environment if they continue to operate without emission control. It said the "deadline should be non-negotiable for plants which came up after the notification". image0 Congratulations! The new emission standards and water discharge norms for coal-based power plants were introduced in 2015. All plants were mandatorily required to comply with the norms by December 2017. This deadline was, however, later extended till 2022 when many plants raised practical problems in implementing those norms within that period. "Our assessment finds that even after seven years since the notification and even after the agreed five-year extension given to this sector in 2017, most of the total installed coal-fired capacity will not be compliant with the crucial sulphur dioxide (SO2) standards by 2022," said Sunita Narain, director general of the CSE, while releasing a report on findings of the study. image1 She said, "There is little information in the public domain about compliance with particulate matter(PM) or NOx standards and certainly, there is no direction to the thermal power plants that they must meet the crucial water standards, which would make this water-guzzling sector more responsible on its usage." The report - Coal-based Power Norms: Where do we stand today - shows that the coal-fired power plants are, currently, among the most polluting industries in the country. "They account for over 60% of the total PM emissions from all industry, as well as 45% of the SO2, 30% of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and over 80% of the mercury emissions," it said. Underlining those details, Narain said, "Even as we continue using coal, India’s thermal power sector must clean up its act. This is absolutely non-negotiable." The study was released a day after the Union Cabinet approved the Coal Blocks Allocation (Amendment) Rules. It comes in the backdrop of the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s announcement last week on slew of reforms in the coal sector to enhance domestic production. Highlighting huge scope for improvement in the sector’s environmental performance as per the 2015 notification on emission standards, the CSE’s study noted that the implementation of such standards can cut down emissions of PM by 35%, SO2 by 80% and NOx by 42%. "They can also bring down freshwater use by the industry," it said. Bringing plant-wise details on implementation of the 2015 emission standards, report recommended that the environment ministry "should issue directions and impose hefty fines on the plants which clearly will not meet the 2022 deadline". It also suggested issuing of high penalties or closure notices for non-compliant Delhi-NCR airshed plants at least for the peak winter pollution months. Asking for urgent decision regarding older plants which cannot meet the already lax emission standards, the study suggested that such plants must be retired/refurbished to use alternative fuels or move towards using the plants for biomass gasification or ultra-modern municipal waste processing units. "The report has structured its content to enable an easy understanding of the subject – from providing an overview of the standards and a chronology and progress of the implementation process, to giving updates on phasing out of old plants and rules for new ones," said Soundaram Ramanathan, deputy programme manager, industrial pollution unit of the CSE.

India opening up coal sector but 70 pc plants do not meet emission standards, says CSE

India opening up coal sector but 70 pc plants do not meet emission standards, says CSE Vibha Sharma While Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced major structural reforms for the coal sector, including commercial mining in coal on a revenue-sharing basis, to boost India’s COVID-hit economy, leading environmental NGO Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) claims 70 per cent of coal-fired power stations may not meet environmental norms by the 2022 deadline. Coal-fired power plants are some of the most polluting industries and the sector must meet the environmental norms to ensure ‘the right to breathe in clean air’, says the Centre for Science and Environment. Seeking urgent action, CSE director-general Sunita Narain said the Environment Ministry must issue directions and impose hefty fines on plants which clearly would not meet the 2022 deadline, along with high penalties/closure notices for non-compliant Delhi-NCR airshed plants, at least for peak winter pollution months. “The Environment Ministry should immediately decide regarding the older plants which cannot meet the already lax emission standards. Either they must be retired/refurbished to use alternative fuels or move towards using the plants for biomass gasification or ultra-modern municipal waste processing units. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her 2020 Budget speech, had discussed the need to close these plants,” she added. Notably, India is opening up coal mining to privatisation to revive the economy. However, coal-fired power plants have to meet stringent new emission norms by 2022, set in December 2015, by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). “The industry tried to first obstruct and prevaricate on the 2015 standards. The deadline for meeting them was moved from 2017 to 2022. But the sector continues to remain in its state of sloth. With barely two years to go before the deadline hits them, almost 70 per cent of the plants will not meet the emission standards,” says the CSE report ‘Coal-based Power Norms: Where do we stand’ released on Thursday. The 2015 standards are in line with global regulations. According to rough estimates, their implementation can cut down emissions of PM by 35 per cent, SO2 by 80 per cent, and NOx by 42 per cent. They can also bring down freshwater use by the industry. The sector, however, has been far from forthcoming in accepting the norms, says the study based on the assessment of the progress in the implementation of environmental norms. Furthermore, there is a little information in the public domain about compliance with PM or NOx standards and certainly, there is no direction to the thermal power plants that they must meet the crucial water standards, which would make this water-guzzling sector more responsible on its usage. With 56 per cent of generation capacity being based on it, coal is the mainstay of India’s power sector. Besides being accountable for emissions of pollutants like SO2 etc, the sector is also extremely water-intensive and is responsible for 70 per cent of total freshwater withdrawal by all industries in the country, according to the CSE.