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Breather likely on pollution control gears for eligible coal-based power plants
2020-10-21

Aug 24, 2020, 09:40 AM IST


Synopsis

The environment ministry will grant relaxations to eligible coal-based power plants in the implementation of pollution control gears in view of ‘genuine’ concerns over Covid-19 pandemic and India’s endeavour to bar Chinese components,’ environment secretary RP

New Delhi: The environment ministry will grant relaxations to eligible coal-based power plants in the implementation of pollution control gears in view of ‘genuine’ concerns over Covid-19 pandemic and India’s endeavour to bar Chinese components,’ environment secretary RP Gupta told ET. 

“There are genuine demands but we will need to consider how much relaxation to give, the eligibility criteria for the relaxation, whether there should be different levels of relaxation—all of this needs to be discussed after proper analysis and consultation, before a decision can be made,” he said.

The power ministry last week wrote to the environment ministry seeking a two-year extension in current deadline for about 330 units with over 100GW capacity saying it “was earlier fixed considering normal circumstances,” sources said. 

The power ministry has informed the environment ministry that 70% of thermal power stations will miss the December 2022 deadline and central, state and private sector power generating units have sought an extension. In its letter, the power ministry sought extension of the target date by two years to December 2024 citing unavailability of domestic power equipment and the lack of finance amid Covid-19 pandemic as issues in meeting the December 2022 deadline, sources said. 

“The disruptions arising from the Covid-19 pandemic and the push for domestic manufacturing are likely to affect the timelines for thermal power plants to comply with emission norms. Keeping the environmental concerns in mind, and in consideration of the current circumstances, some relaxation could be given,’ Gupta said. However, he added, no decision has been taken yet on the request made by the power ministry. 

Gupta said the environment ministry will need to consult with other ministries and domestic manufacturers of pollution control equipment to analyse data and assess the progress made towards compliance before taking a decision. 

It remains to be seen whether the environment ministry will approve a blanket extension to all power projects as suggested by the power ministry. The environment ministry issued emission control norms in 2015 and fixed December 7, 2017 as the deadline, against which the power ministry had sought seven years’ time. 

“We are thankful to the ministry of power for recognising the difficulties -- financing, consequential tariff increase etc -- being faced by developers and to have agreed to recommend extension of the timelines,” Association of Power Producers director general, Ashok Khurana, said. 

The power plants had agreed to a phased plan for installing emission control equipment by next year, failing which they face closure. The Supreme Court had in June declined a blanket extension to power plants to install the flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) units that cut emissions of sulphur dioxide. 

While local players can supply the equipment, installation of emission control gears involves a lot of civil work and would require a large EPC contractor base, sources said.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/breather-likely-on-pollution-control-gears-for-eligible-coal-based-power-plants/articleshow/77708777.cms