News Highlight
India extended a deadline for coal-fired power plants to install equipment to cut sulphur emissions by two years, marking the third pushback on a commitment to clean up dirty air.
Key Takeaway
- India had initially set a 2017 deadline for thermal power plants to install flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) units to cut sulphur emissions. That was later changed to 2022 and extended last year to a period ending in 2025.
- However, only 40% of India’s total coal power capacity of 211.6 GW has been awarded bids for installing FGD, while another 4% have already installed it, according to government data.
Coal energy
- Coal is India’s most essential and abundant fossil fuel. It accounts for 55% of the country’s energy needs. The country’s industrial heritage was built upon indigenous coal.
Classification of coal.
- Anthracite:
- Highest grade of coal has the highest calorific value.
- It has a carbon content of 80% to 95%.
- Bituminous coal (black coal):
- It is used in manufacturing coke and power generation.
- It has a carbon content of 60% to 80%.
- Lignite (brown coal):
- The lowest grade of coal is used for electricity generation.
- It has a carbon content of 40% to 55%.
- Peat:Â
- Â It is partially decayed plant material.
Data
- Coal reserves:
- India is one of the top 5 countries in terms of coal reserves.
- Coal production:
- India is the 2nd largest coal-producing nation in the world.
Significance of the coal sector in India
- Domestic energy needs:Â
- Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel, accounting for 55% of the country’s energy needs.
- Source of revenue:Â
- State-owned Coal India, the world’s largest coal mining company, is a significant source of revenue for state coffers through dividend payments and taxes.
- The cheapest source of energy:
- Coal is by far cheaper than nuclear power, natural gas, and oil.
- More accessible to mine and transport:
- Unlike crude oil and radioactive materials, coal is mined and transported with much ease.
Challenges of the coal sector
- Import dependence on high-grade coal:
- Majority of India’s coal production is non-coking coal; coking coal has to be imported.
- Parallel economy:
- Parallel economy run by the coal mafia contributed to the black coal market, the diversion of good quality coal, the expropriation of government lands, etc.
- Coking coal has a higher carbon content and a lower ash content than non-coking coal.
- Parallel economy run by the coal mafia contributed to the black coal market, the diversion of good quality coal, the expropriation of government lands, etc.
- The source of pollution:
- Coal is one of the sources of atmospheric pollution that severely affects the atmosphere through particulate coal pollution.
- Displacement of tribal:Â
- The forests and agricultural lands belonging to the tribal people have been laid waste because of haphazard mining.
- Lack of transparency:
- Allocation of coal blocks faces arbitrariness and lack of transparency.
- For example, the coal scam of 2014.
Government Initiatives
- SHAKTI:
- SHAKTI (Scheme for Harnessing and Allocating Koyala Transparently in India):For ther auction and allotment of coal linkages and will lead to affordable power, access to coal, and accountability in the allocation of coal.
- PM Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana:Â
- To provide for the welfare of areas and people affected by mining-related operations.
- Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015:
- The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 enabled the allocation of coal mines through a transparent auction.
- Online Coal Clearances System:
- It is to provide single window access to its investors to submit online applications for all the permissions/clearances and approvals granted by the Ministry of Coal.
- UTTAM App:
- The UTTAM (Unlocking Transparency by Third Party Assessment of Mined Coal) app: for all citizens and coal consumers to monitor the process of Third-Party Sampling of coal across Coal India Limited(CIL) subsidiaries.
Way forward
- Investment in infrastructure:
- Commercial mining projects can be aided with investment in initial infrastructure settings, which are more capital intensive than mining.
- Promote research:
- Steps must be taken to promote research and exploration activities and modern underground mass production technologies.
- Increase Imports:
- The imports should be increased in periods of shortage, preferably before monsoons and summer months and gradually decreased during winter.
- Pollution must be kept within the limit:
- As India’s coal is high in ash content, coal beneficiation should be done to reduce the ash content and improve its grade.
- Invest in renewables:
- Divert investment in renewable energy, such as solar, would reduce pollution.
Desulphurisation of coal or Flue-gas Desulphurization (FGD).
- The removal of sulfur dioxide is called Flue-gas Desulphurization (FGD).
- The coal cleaning process has traditionally focused on reducing ash-reforming minerals and has not necessarily been aimed at removing sulphur in coal until recently. However, increasingly stringent regulations for sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions during coal combustion have encouraged the technical development of coal cleaning for sulphur removal.Â
- Physical cleaning techniques to remove inorganic sulphur forms, mainly pyritic sulphur, are well established and widely used. On the other hand, chemical and biological cleaning can potentially remove organic sulphur.
- Common methods used:
- Wet scrubbing uses a slurry of alkaline sorbent, limestone or lime, or seawater to scrub gases.
- Spray-dry scrubbing using similar sorbent slurries.
- Wet sulfuric acid process recovering sulphur in the form of commercial quality sulfuric acid.
- SNOX Flue gas desulphurisation removes sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulates from flue gases;
- Dry sorbent injection systems that introduce powdered hydrated lime (or other sorbent material) into exhaust ducts to eliminate SO2 and SO3 from process emissions.
Pic Courtesy: Omicore
Content Source: The Hindu