PSPCL plants may miss deadline for installing system to cut emissions

PATIALA : Even as the private thermal plants have taken a lead in meeting the Central Pollution Control Board’s emission norms, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is lagging behind in installing the requisite equipment to bring down the discharge of harmful gas particles at its own projects.

The Supreme Court has set the 2022 deadline for installing the system.

“The corporation is yet to finalise the tender for its own plants. Things are moving at a snail’s pace for the last one year. I am afraid the CPCB will not allow us to run our plants after the deadline. If the PSPCL finalises the tender by March, it will take another two years to complete the process. This means we are most likely to miss the time frame,” said a state power department engineer.

As per the CPCB guidelines, all thermal plants — private or public — need to install flue-gas desulfurisation (FGD) system that eliminates harmful sulphur particles from emissions. An FGD system costs nearly Rs 50 lakh against one megawatt capacity.

The state government-run Rupnagar and Lehra Mohabbat plants are yet to install the same. The PSPCL will have to foot the bill of system installation for both private and public thermal plants.

Earlier, due to loopholes in the power purchase agreement (PPA), two private thermal plants in Punjab were allowed to claim Rs 3,000 crore as installation and operational costs from the PSPCL to meet mandated pollution emission norms.

The Larsen and Toubro’s 1,400 MW Nabha plant has started installing the equipment. “The work is in full swing and we will upgrade plants as per the CPCB norms before the set deadline. Tenders were finalised a year ago, while half of the installation process is complete,” said a L&T official.

PSPCL director (generation) Paramjit Singh said the process of finalising the tender is in final stages.

“Also, we have written to the Centre and the CPCB to extend the deadline and given relaxation to plants with lower load factor,” he said.

We have written to the Centre and the CPCB to extend the deadline and give relaxation to plants with lower load factor.

PARAMJIT SINGH,

PSPCL director (generation)