Emissions from power sector (GHG & pollution load)

1. Chandrakant Singh
Teaching Assistant,
(Department of Civil engineering & Health, safety
& environment)
UPES, Dehradun
Impact of Power Sector Emissions on Air
Quality

2. Summary of Electric Power generation
Source INDIA JAPAN U.S
Coal 60% 22% 52%
Oil 14% 16.5% 3.1%
Gas 6.3% 22% 15.7%
Nuclear 2.5% 30% 20%

3. Scenario of Energy sector in India
• As the 3rd largest economy in the world with more
than a billion people, the supply of power in India
can scarcely keep up with demand. Across the
country, households and industry suffer from regular
power cuts, while more than 400 million lack access
to even this unreliable supply.
• Given the energy scenario, the need to expand
power generation capacity and deliver more
electricity for India is immediate. To meet the
growing electricity demand, the expansion of the
coal-fired thermal power plants (TPPs) is the most
likely scenario, which consequently also leads to an
array of environmental and health impacts.

4. Expected Outcome of using Coal-fired
thermal power plants
• Coal generation capacity grows 300% - The total installed capacity is
expected to increase three times from 159 GW in 2014 to 450 GW in 2030;
under the proposed list of power plant projects. Largest (three fold)
expansions are expected in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha,
Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Jharkhand
• Air emissions at least double through 2030 - The PM, SO2, and NOx
emissions will at least double in the same period. Most of the planned
plants are supercritical- and ultraTPPs, which tend to utilise less coal per
MWh of electricity generated. With no emission regulations in place for
SO2 and Nox
• 100% increase in health impacts - The total premature mortality due to the
emissions from coal-fired TPPs is expected to grow 2-3 times reaching
186,500 to 229,500 annually in 2030

5. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN COAL BASED
POWER GENERATION
• Air Pollution :- High particulate matter emission levels due to burning of
inferior grade coal which leads to generation of large quantity of fly ash.
Emissions of SO2, NOx & Green house gas (CO2 ) are also matter of
concern.
• Water Pollution :- Mainly caused by the effluent discharge from ash ponds,
condenser cooling /cooling tower, DM plant and Boiler blow down.
• Noise Pollution :- High noise levels due to release of high pressure steam
and running of fans and motors.
• Land Degradation :- About 100 million tonnes of fly ash is generated by use
of coal far energy production. The disposal of such large quantity of fly ash
has occupied thousands hectares of land which includes agricultural and
forest land too

6. Pollution Load from thermal Power plant
Pollutants Emissions (in tones/day)
CO2 424650
Particulate Matter 4374
SO2 3311
Nox 5000

7. Green house Gas emission
• Greenhouse gases are gases in Earth’s
atmosphere that trap heat. They let sunlight
pass through the atmosphere, but they
prevent the heat that the sunlight brings
from leaving the atmosphere. The main
greenhouse gases are: Water vapor, Carbon
dioxide, methane, Ozone NOx & Fluorinated
gases.
• By increasing the concentration of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, we’re
amplifying the planet’s natural greenhouse
effect and turning up the dial on global
warming.

8. Global GHG Emissions
Energy sector
contributing upto 72%
GHG emissions in the
year 2013

9. GHG emissions from power sector in INDIA
• India is the world’s third largest
emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs),
after China and the United states.
• In India, 68.7% percent of GHG
emissions come from the energy
sector.
• The coal based, natural gas based
power plants are responsible for the
increasing GHG emissions rates.
• 55% of India’s electricity is produced
from coal based power plants.

10. Sources of electricity in India
• Coal-fired power comes with significant
costs to environment and human health.
• The water runoff from coal washeries
carries pollution loads of heavy metals
that contaminate ground water, rivers,
and lakes - thus affecting aquatic flora
and fauna.
• Fly-ash residue and pollutants settle on
soil contaminating areas and are
especially harmful to agricultural
activities.

11. The energy and emissions outlook through 2030
• The total installed capacity is expected to increase
three times from 159 GW in 2014 to 450 GW in
2030; under the proposed and active list of power
plant projects.
• The PM, SO2, and NOx emissions will
at least double in the same period.
With no emission regulations in place
for SO2 and NOx, these are assumed
uncontrolled and allowed to release at
the elevated stacks for dispersion.

12. IN RETROSPECT
• To meet the growing electricity demand in India’s urban and rural
regions, the expansion of the coal-fired TPPs is the most likely
scenario, which also leads to an array of health impacts.
• There is growing evidence in the scientific community on the health
impacts associated with the air pollution from the coal-fired TPPs.
• To date, the pollution standards for SO2 and NOx emissions exist only
for ambient air quality, measured at select locations in major cities,
and not for individual TPPs.
• The environmental impact assessment procedures need to be revised,
in order to include the health and environmental damages

13. FGD – Flue Gas Desulfurization
• 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 oxide emitting
processes.

14. Electrostatic Precipitator
• An electrostatic precipitator (ESP), or electrostatic air cleaner is a
particulate collection device that removes particles from a flowing gas
(such as air) using the force of an induced electrostatic charge.

15. Clean Coal technologies (CCTS)
Need for adoption of CCTs
• To meet increasing demand of power
with minimal environmental impact for
sustainable development, adoption of
clean coal technologies with enhanced
power plant efficiency, fuel switching,
use of washed coal, efficient pollution
control systems and proper by-product
and waste handling & utilization, is
necessary.