industry

Central Pollution Control Board issues notices to 14 power plants


NEW DELHI: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued notices to 14 coal-based plants, mostly owned by state-run enterprises and with capacity totalling about 14000 mw, which face closure for not implementing emission control equipment.

A senior power ministry official said the ministry has told the companies involved that the defaulting power plants will not get any support from the government. Industry executives said power plants are not ordering equipment due to cash crunch and tariff uncertainty. Equipment orders have to be placed at least 36 months in advance to meet commissioning deadlines.

The projects include those run by state generating companies of Punjab, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Tamil Nadu. NTPC’s Dadri power plant in the National Capital Region and Damodar Valley Corporation’s Chandrapura plant in Jharkhand are also in the list.

“So far, CPCB has issued show cause notice on 31.01.2020 under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to 31 units of 14 TPPs (thermal power plants) as to why non-complying units of the plant should not be closed and environmental compensation be imposed for continuing non-compliance of CPCB directions,” power and renewable energy minister RK Singh said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. “Further, CPCB has issued directions/show cause notice for closure under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 on 26.02.2020 to 11 units of four TPPs.”

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has also sent letters to thermal power stations for strict compliance with existing environment norms within the stipulated time given by the environment ministry and CPCB, the minister said.

The environment ministry had notified new environmental norms for particulate matter, sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), water consumption and mercury for thermal power plants on December 7, 2015.

In order to ensure uninterrupted power supply position in the country, a phased implementation plan for installation of Flue Gas De-Sulphurisation (FGD) in plants for a capacity of 161,402 mw and upgradation of 64,425 mw plants by 2022 was prepared by the CEA in consultation with the stakeholders.

Accordingly, on the directions of the environment ministry, the CPCB issued directions under section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to power plants.

The CPCB said that those projects which fail to comply with new emission norms by the specified deadlines would be considered non-complying and be liable for penal action including closure of the plant and imposition of environmental compensation.





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