Environmental Regulations for

Coal based Thermal Power Plant

Dr. S.K. Paliwal, Scientist D

Central Pollution Control Board
Delhi , India
paliwalsk@yahoo.com
 Fast Growth, but still substantial
development needed in power sector
 7th largest economy in the world by nominal GDP; 3rd largest by GDP
in PPP terms

 One of the fastest growing economy

 Accounts for 4.1% of world’s energy consumption

 Energy demand in India will continue to grow rapidly over the next
couple of decades due to:

 Rapid rate of growth

 High urbanization levels
 An aspiring and growing middle class and a generally
modernizing society

 Low per capita electricity consumption (1010 KWh)

 Indian Power Sector
Capacity, MW
185172.88
200000

180000

160000

140000

120000

100000

80000
42783.42
60000 38821.52
40000 24508.63
20000 5780
993.53
0

Hydro Coal Gas Diesel Nuclear Renewable

 Environmental Issues
Use of high ash content coal in power generation leads to the following
environmental problems:
Air Pollution
• Emission of particulate matter (dust)
• Emission of sulphur dioxide and Oxides of Nitrogen
• Green House Gas Emissions
• Emission of Mercury (both gaseous and in ash)
• Fugitive emission of suspended particulate matter from CHP, Wagon Tripler
and ash pond
Water Pollution (due to higher water consumption)
• Cooling water discharge
• Ash pond effluent

Solid Waste ( use of high ash containing coal)

• Large volume of coal ash generation (Flyash & Bottom ash)
• Large land requirement for ash disposal
Estimated Sulphur dioxide emission
(Industrial sector wise)
 Estimated mercury emission
(Industrial sector wise)

• Mercury Emission : estimated using emission factor 0.56 with av. HG content in coal 0.14 mg/Kg
 Evolution of Emission Standard for Power Sector

2015 (effective from 2017)

(PM, SO2 & NOx)
2003
PM : 50 mg/Nm3
: 100 mg/Nm3
2002 : Use of Stack Height : 220 m
beneficiated coal 275m
1989
Stack Height : H= 14 (Q)0.3
1984 220m
PM : 350 mg/Nm3
: 150 mg/Nm3
 Selected countries emission
standards for coal fired power plants
Country Time NOx ,mg/Nm3 SO2,mg/Nm3 PM ,mg/Nm3
Period
existing new existing new existing new
Australia 800 200 80
China hourly 100 50 200/50 35 30/20 10
Germany daily 200 150 200 150 20 10
India Cont. 600/300 100 600/200 100 100/50 30
Indonesia 850 750 750 750 150 100
Japan 410 200 200 100 50
South Cont. 1100 750 3500 500 100 50
Africa
Thailand 820 410 2002 515 180 80
USA daily 135 95.3 185 136 18.5 12.3
EU Cont. 200 150 200 150 20 20
 Present level of emission from
existing thermal power plants
Parameter Concentration

Particulate matter, 30-350

mg/Nm3

Sulphurdioxide 800-1200
( SO2), mg/Nm3

Oxide of Nitrogen 200-700

( NOx) (mg/Nm3)

Mercury (mg/Nm3 ) 0.005 -0.0185

Water Consumption *,M3/MWh > 4.00 M3/MWh

70-100 M3/MWh ( OTC)
Few plants achieved zero discharge
New emission Standards notified
on 07.12.2015
Categorisation of plant based on the
year of commissioning
Category Number of units

1 Plants installed before the 302 (59652 MW)

year 2003

2 Plants installed after the >279 (125348 MW)

year 2003
 Available Technologies
Pollutant Existing approach Future technologies to be adopted

Water Once through / cooling tower Cooling tower with recycling of effluent
Consumption without recycling with RO system
Ash pond effluent recycling since
the year 2005 onwards Ash pond effluent recycling from day one

Particulate Electrostatic precipitator Electrostatic precipitator with efficiency of

matter ( ESP)with efficiency of 99.6% 99.9% / Hybrid ESP/ bag filter
Use of beneficiated coal Compulsory use of beneficiated coal

SO2 Dispersion in larger area by Flue gas Desulphurisation with 90% SO2
providing Tall stack height reduction in emission
NOx Low NOx burners Low NOx burners & two layer of Over fire
Air/ Selective Catalytic Reduction/
Selective Non Catalytic reduction with
90% efficiency
Mercury No control Will be controlled as co- benefit with SO2
and NOx control technologies
 Challenges before the Power
Industry
• Non availability of space/land in the plants installed prior to
31.12.2003 to retrofit :
• Cooling tower ( CT) ( 25% of total capacity )
• FGD ( already asked to provide space for unit size 500 MW and above)
• ESP ( Possible to increase SCA/ conversion into hybrid ESP)

• Two years’ time for implementation of new norms will not be

adequate

• Non availability of proven technology for control of NOx

• Availability of Lime and Disposal of Gypsum

• Substantial increase in tariff due to implementation of Norms

 Strategy for Implementation of
Standards
• Preparation of Phasing out plan for vintage
plants having low PLF and higher Heat rate
• Submission of time bound action plan for retrofit
of ESP
• Finalisation of specification and preparation of
plan for installation of FGD wherever required
• Preparation of action plan for control of NOx
either by boiler tuning /optimisation as the case
may be.
 Expected Environmental
Benefits
1. Reduction in PM, sulhurdioxde and Oxide of
nitrogen by about 40, 48 & 48 % respectively
which inturn will help in improvement in AAQ in
and around thermal power plants.
2. Reduction of mercury emission by about 60%
3. Limiting the use of water in thermal power plant
will lead to reduction in water consumption by
about 40%. Thermal power plant is one of the
water intense category ( 70% of total Industrial
water is consumed in Power sector).