CEMENT, POWER COS MAY GET RELIEF FROM PET COKE BAN

NEWDELHI: The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF) is likely to exempt power companies and cement manufacturing factories from its notification that banned use of pet coke and furnace oil for industrial use in Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

Additional solicitor general A Nadkarni informed the Supreme Court about the government’s proposed move on Monday. He told a bench headed by Justice MB Lokur that the use of pet coke in the cement industry was minuscule and for non-fuel purposes.

“It is used as a de-sulphuring agency. Therefore, the ministry has decided to have a relook into its decision and allow the cement units to use it,” he said.

Similarly, MOEF also intends to allow use of furnace oil in electricity generation plants since it utilization is hardly 0.1%. “Power companies do not use it as a regular fuel. It is used probably once in three or six months to switch on and off the generation,” Nadkarni said.

However, the law officer said that the exemption will come with a caveat that the permission to use the fuels will be only for a year. “The industries will have to brace themselves to switch over to an alternative cleaner fuel within that time period,” he told the court.

Nadkarni also informed the bench that the Centre was mulling the option of banning import of furnace oil and pet coke. He, however, did not divulge the details.

The Centre decided to have relook at its ban order after the industries approaching the top court for relief. SC had refused to intervene, citing the government’s notification declaring the ban.

Both CPCB and MOEF had issued the directive after the SC on October 24 prohibited industries in the three neighbouring states of Delhi from using the polluting fuels. Use of pet coke and furnace oil is already banned in the Capital. The ban was imposed in the wake of high pollution levels in Delhi.

THE SUPREME COURT WAS TOLD THAT THE TWO INDUSTRIES USE THE BANNED FUELS IN MINUSCULE AMOUNTS