Flue gas desulphurisation (FGD)
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News: Power Minister says that the Central Pollution Control Board will decide on future of flue gas desulphurisation units.

About Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD)

Source – ResearchGate
  • Flue-gas desulfurization(FGD) is a set of technologies used to remove sulfur dioxide (SO2) from exhaust flue gases of fossil-fuel power plants and from the emissions of other sulfur dioxide-emitting processes such as waste incineration.
  • These are an additional piece of equipment required to be retro-fitted in TPPs to cut harmful sulphur dioxide emissions resulting from burning coal.
Flue Gas

  • Flue gas (sometimes called exhaust gas or stack gas) refers to the gas that is released from combustion plants.
  • It is a by-product of burning fossil fuels.
  • Flue gas actually contains a mixture of gases, such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor, nitrogen oxides (NO & NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), other trace pollutants, and often some particulate matter.

Ill effects of Sulphur Dioxide

  • Sulphur dioxide emissions can hover in the atmosphere and form aerosols of sulphates that can temper the heat from global warming and exacerbate particulate matter pollution and respiratory diseases.

Categorization of Thermal Power Plants

  • They are categorized into A, B, and C based on their location and proximity to areas with critical pollution or high population density for the purpose of installing Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) systems.
  • Category A plants: The power plants located in a 10 km radius of the National Capital Region, and cities with a population of over one million, are required to install FGD units.
    • There are 66 such plants, and only 14 of them have installed FGD units.
    • All these plants are required to comply by 2027.
  • Category B plants: Those TPPs located in a 10-km radius of ‘Critically Polluted Cities’ or ‘Non-Attainment Cities’.
    • They would be eligible for exemption on a “case by case” basis, upon a joint review by the Central Electricity Authority or the CPCB.
    • There are 72 such plants, with only 4 having installed FGD units.
    • These plants have a deadline of 2028.
  • Category C plants: The remaining 462 plants come under Category C.
    • Thirty-two of them have installed FGD units.
    • These plants have a 2029 deadline.
  • Deadline extensions: So far, the government has granted three extensions since 2017, the latest being in December 2024, for plants to comply by 2027-2030.

Present Scenario

  • 92% of India’s 600 TPPs haven’t yet installed FGD units.
  • High installation cost: It is estimated that the current installation cost of such equipment is about ₹1 crore per megawatt (MW) of installed power capacity.
  • Note: The fitment of FGDs in all TPPs in India is not necessary to comply with the NAAQ (National Ambient Air Quality) standards whose compliance is essential to safeguard public health.

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