ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES PERTAINING TO FUTURE COAL BASED THERMAL PLANTS OF POWER SECTORS IN INDIA

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES PERTAINING TO FUTURE COAL BASED THERMAL PLANTS OF POWER SECTORS IN INDIA

Present Scenario

1. More than 240 million MT of coal with ash content 35-45% is burnt annually by so many Coal Based Thermal Power Plants in India.

2. Coal ash, nearly 100 million MT per annum is produced in India.

3. More than 25,000 hectares of land has been occupied in India for disposal of ash in conventional wet slurry form.

4. More than 630 million Cu.M of water is consumed per annum in India for disposal/storage of coal ash in wet slurry form to many ash ponds.

To address the critical issue of utilization of fly ash a workshop was conducted in Kolkata, India in July, 2011. There was enormous participation of educationist, engineers, end users’, utilities across the country who shared their decade’s long experiences of classroom as well as field in tandem. The papers presented by all such experts are given in the attachments.

Future Scenario

India has taken up further capacity addition across the country to the tune of 150,000 MW by March, 2017 bulk of which coal based (nearly 100,000 MW) new power projects. After installation of all such projects further 520 million MT of coal with ash content 35-45% will be burnt annually by the new Coal Based Thermal Power Projects. It will produce additional 220 million MT coal ash for disposal using 55,000 hectares of land while additional water consumption will be in the range of 1400 million Cu.M. We should have judicious future planning for utilization of such huge quantity of additional 220 million MT of coal ash likely to be generated by 2016-17.

It is a matter of great concern that how the environment of the globe will be protected and how it will become friendly for survival of 8 billion people.

27 January, 2012