Flue Gas Desulphurisation

According to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), not a single coal-based thermal power plant in West Bengal has installed flue gas desulphurisation (FDG). None of the major plants connected to the power grid have installed FGD units or direct sorbent injection (DSI) technology to control sulphur dioxide emissions.

What is it?

• It is a technology to eliminate sulphur compounds from exhaust emissions.
• This is done through the addition of absorbents, which can remove up to 95% of the sulphur dioxide from the flue gas.
• Flue gas is the emitted material produced when fossil fuels such as coal, oil, natural gas, or wood are burned for heat or power.

India’s Emission Norms –

India’s first emission norms for control of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and mercury from coal-fired power plants were notified in December 2015 and since then the deadline for installation of pollution control equipment has been extended three times by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.