Only 20 thermal power plants have installed FGD technology so far: Govt

• Out of 20 thermal power plants, 16 have installed wet FGD technology and four have installed Dry Sorbent Injection (DSI) technology
• 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

New Delhi: At least 20 thermal power plants run by Central or private entities have installed Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) technology, Minister of State (MoS) for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. Out of 20 thermal power plants, 16 have installed wet FGD technology and four have installed Dry Sorbent Injection (DSI) technology for de-sulphurisation of flue gas from Thermal Power Plants, Choubey told the House in a written response.

"However, no state-run plants have installed FGD units," the minister told the Rajya Sabha.

What is FGD technology?

FGD is a set of technologies used to remove sulphur dioxide from exhaust flue gases of fossil fuel power plants, and from the emissions of other sulphur oxide emitting processes. It is a control device that absorbs and react using the alkaline reagent to produce a solid compound.

Background

The Environment Ministry had notified emission norms on December 7, 2015 for Sulphur dioxide (SO2) for coal/lignite based Thermal Power Plants (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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