NTPC Solapur thermal power project’s FGD tower catches fire on 1st day; no casualties

• No injuries or casualties were reported
• NTPC has so far installed FGD system for 1.3 GW coal-fired thermal power plants, while work to install the same at 38 power plants of 60 GW capacity is underway

New Delhi: The newly-installed FGD (Flue Gas Desulpharisation) absorber tower at state-run NTPC Limited's Solapur super-critical thermal power project caught fire on April 20, the day on which it was made operational for the first time. However, no injuries or casualties were reported. According to sources, only plastic items were destroyed in the fire incident. For exact assessment of damage, a team has been constituted. An official spokesperson for NTPC said that it was a minor fire incident which was brought under control within half an hour.

Two separate sources who spoke to PSU Watch said that the FGD absorber tower, which was made operational at NTPC's Solapur super thermal power project on that very day, caught fire while some welding work was going on. NTPC's super-critical Solapur thermal power project, located in Solapur, Maharashtra, has a capacity of 1,320 MW. It is spread over 2,200 acres and was commissioned in 2017.

FGD system installation

According to a written response submitted by Power Minister RK Singh in the Parliament in December 2021, NTPC has so far installed FGD system for 1.3 GW coal-fired thermal power plants, while work to install the same at 38 power plants of 60 GW capacity is underway. Coal-based Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) are required to comply with emission norms including sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions norms, notified by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and directions given by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The Environment Ministry had notified emission norms on December 7, 2015 for Sulphur dioxide (SO2) for coal/lignite based TPPs, which were to be implemented within two years from the notification, ie December 7, 2017. Subsequently, in December 2017, the timeline for implementation of new emission norms was extended.

Later due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the deadline was once again extended. As per the latest notification issued by MoEF&CC on March 31, 2021, a task force has been constituted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) comprising of representatives from MoEF&CC, Ministry of Power (MoP), Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and CPCB to categorise TPPs in three categories. The deadline for installation of FGD for Category A plants that are within 10 Km radius of National Capital Region (NCR) is until December 31, 2022. Category B TPPs, which are within 10 Km radius of critically polluted areas, must install FGD technology by December 31, 2023. And the remaining thermal power plants come under Category C and must comply with the government's directive by December 31, 2024.

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