Thermal power plants not responsible for worsening air quality in Delhi-NCR: NTPC

New Delhi, November 8

State-run power giant NTPC on Sunday said thermal power plants were not responsible for the deteriorating air quality in Delhi-National Capital Region (Delhi-NCR).

“The deterioration in air quality index (AQI) in NCR is the most serious health issue in the COVID-19 times. Vehicular emissions, construction activities, road dust, industrial emissions and above all agro-waste (parali) burning in the nearby states are contributing to the smog that threatens to have an irreversible effect on the health and immune system, NTPC said in a statement.

Coal-fired power plants had often been accused for increased pollution, which may not always be correct, it said.

Also read: Farm fires continue to deteriorate Delhi’s air quality

The coal-fired units of Dadri (NTPC plant) were closed since October but the ambient air quality and AQI of NCR had been deteriorating day-by-day, NTPC said.

“The same units were operational during the lockdown earlier this year with practically no emissions. In fact, when it comes to emissions, Dadri coal units are amongst the cleanest not only in NTPC but the whole country,” it said.

All units of NTPC Dadri power station are equipped with state-of-the-art systems to control emissions such as ESP (electrostatic precipitator) for particulate matters, dry sorbent injection, desulfurization system for SOx emission and combustion modification for control of NOx emissions.

Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) and Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) were installed for real time monitoring of ambient air quality, it added.

NTPC said its Dadri thermal plant had developed a facility for co-firing of rice stubble agro-waste pellets.

“More than 8,000 tonnes of agro-waste pellets have been fired in the last two years, which has avoided stubble burning in almost 4,000 acres of farmland. The use of agro-waste pellets for power generation at Dadri station is helping farmers financially and also in reducing the carbon footprint of power generation,” it added.

“The irony is that all coal units at Dadri are under shutdown and the opportunity for generation of green power from parali or agro-pellets is lost,” the company said. PTI