Construction Industry News
According to a new analysis conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), an environmental think tank, it has been found that despite several expansions, only 5% of coal-fired power plants in India have implemented flue gas desulphurization systems (FGD). These systems are designed to control air pollution by reducing sulfur dioxide emissions. The analysis is based on the updated FGD status released in April by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the technical arm of the Department of Energy.
In December 2015, the Union Ministry of Environment set emission standards for coal-fired power plants. However, these standards have been watered down for several parameters and deadlines for compliance have been repeatedly extended.
The CSE analysis indicates that of the total installations, only 5% have installed FGDs to control sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions. This percentage includes 9,280 MW of installations that have reported commissioning FGDs and another 1,430 MW of installations claiming to be SO2 compliant.
The installation of FGD systems usually takes about two years and requires temporary shutdowns for necessary arrangements. CSE's researchers estimate the likelihood of power plants meeting emission standards based on their current compliance phase and time remaining until the deadline.
