Skip to content
Free updates Login
SSCRailwayUPSC & State PSC

FGD Mandate for Coal Plants: NIAS Study Urges Rethink

18 April 20251 min read
ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGYFGD Mandate forCoal Plants: NIASStudy UrgesRethink18 April 2025safalsetu.com

Why in the news

A study asked the government to drop the uniform requirement for sulphur-scrubbing units at all coal power plants and target only the plants that need them.

About FGD

Flue Gas Desulphurisation systems strip sulphur dioxide (SO2) from plant exhaust, cutting air pollution and acid rain; they may be wet or dry types.

Key facts

  • Mandate issued in 2015 for 537 plants; original deadline 2018, now 2027-2029.
  • Compliance: 8% installed, 230 under way, 260 yet to order.
  • Cost: ₹1.2 crore per MW; coal capacity 218,000 MW, heading to 283,000 MW by 2032.

Study findings

  • 92% of Indian coal is low-sulphur; only imported or high-sulphur (above 0.5%) coal poses real SO2 risk.
  • CPCB-mandated 220-metre stacks and local weather disperse SO2; a 2024 IIT-Delhi study found acid rain not significant.
  • Universal FGD means more water and power use and 69 million tonnes extra CO2 (2025-2030), to cut 17 million tonnes of SO2.
  • IPCC assessments say SO2 has a cooling effect, masking about 0.5°C warming in 2010-2019.

Way forward

  • Roll back the universal mandate; focus on plants using imported or high-sulphur coal.

Exam angle

  • Pollutant removed: SO2; study by NIAS; stack norm from CPCB.

Test yourself

1. Flue Gas Desulphurisation systems in coal plants mainly remove which pollutant?

FGD removes sulphur dioxide from flue gases.

2. Which institute conducted the study urging a rethink of the FGD mandate?

NIAS, Bengaluru, did the study for the Principal Scientific Adviser's office.

3. What share of Indian coal has low sulphur content, per the NIAS study?

The study says 92% of Indian coal is low in sulphur (0.3%-0.5%).

This topic is part of Daily Current Affairs 18 April 2025 (25 topics).

All topics of the dayDay quizApril 2025

Read more