Environment

NITI Aayog expert group suggests scrappage policy for thermal plants

·        An professional group set up by NITI Aayog has adviser the creation of a thermal power plant (TPP) scrappage policy during a bid to bring down the dependency of the ability sector on coal and to maximise the use of clean and a lot of efficient energy sources like renewables.

·        India has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2070 and to own five hundred Giga Watt (GW) of renewable energy capability.

·        Coal-fired power plants are normally decommissioned in India after their useful life of 30-45 years.

·        Coal accounts for about 72 per cent of India’s power supply as of 2021, while RE has been growing rapidly to generate 10.7 per cent of electricity.

·        Around 40 per cent of India’s greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to 633 power units – 25 MW and above capacity – operating at 189 thermal plants. Categories of Thermal Power Plants In April 2021, the MoEF& CC amended the 2015 notification to put coal thermal power plants under three categories.

·        The Union Ministry of environment, Forest and global climate change (MoEF&CC) has discharged a draft list of the coal thermal power plants and their categorisation in line with the ministry’s Apr 2021 notification.

·        Coal thermal power plants contribute to over half sulphur dioxide (SO2) concentration, thirty per cent oxides of nitrogen (NOx), twenty per cent particulate matter (PM) within the ambient air.

·        It puts coal thermal power plant units into three categories: Category Criteria Deadline for compliance A Within 10 km radius of the National Capital Region (NCR) or cities having million-plus population 2022 B Within 10 km radius of critically polluted areas or nonattainment cities 2023 C Remaining plants 2024