India’s coal-based thermal power plants continue to drag their feet in meeting emission norms, says a new analysis done by the Centre for Science and Environment. Sulfur dioxide emissions are a case in point: the CSE analysis finds that a mere five percent of the installed capacity in this sector has put in place an air pollution control device – flue gas de-sulfurization (FGD) system -- for controlling SO2 emissions.

The analysis is based on the updated FGD status released by the Central Electricity Authority, the technical arm of the Union Ministry of Power, for April 2023.

As per the analysis, the five percent of plants that have so far installed FGDs for controlling SO2 emissions include 9,280 MW that has been reported to have commissioned FGDs and another 1,430 MW that ‘claim to be SO2 compliant’. Says Anubha Aggarwal, programme officer, industrial pollution unit, CSE: “How far these claims are true is difficult to say, considering that there is no information available about on-ground inspections conducted by state-level regulatory bodies to confirm these claims.”

Installation of FGD in a unit for SO2 control takes about two years, which is followed by a temporary shutdown of the unit for making necessary arrangements. CSE researchers have estimated the likelihood of a coal power plant meeting the emission norms on the basis of the stage of compliance and the duration in which the power plant must meet the deadline.

Says Aggarwal: “Based on this methodology, we have found that despite five to eight years of extensions in deadlines, 43 percent of the capacity (Category A, which includes plants within a 10 km radius of Delhi-NCR or cities with million-plus population); 11 percent of the capacity (Category B -- within 10 km radius of critically polluted areas); and 1 percent of the remaining capacity (Category C) are unlikely to meet the norms by the latest deadlines of 2024, 2025 and 2026, respectively.”

Aggarwal says that the unlikelihood of compliance by even 1 percent of the sector at this point is disappointing, as enough opportunities have been given to the power plants to comply with the norms. She adds: “Any violation of the norms at this stage should be considered as a deliberate act signifying unwillingness to adhere to the norms.”