CM keeps up daily warning, Centre directs 11 thermal plants to co-fire biomass pellets
New Delhi: Even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal kept up with his daily reminder to states on worsening air quality due to stubble burning - consistent in asking them to use the Pusa bio-decomposer instead, the Centre's Air Quality Commission has directed all 11 thermal power plants within a 300-km radius of Delhi to co-fire biomass pellets with coal, suggesting this can address stubble burning.
The commission said that this process will utilise millions of tonnes of biomass — in the form of crop stubble and prevent it from being burnt — resulting in a reduction of air pollution.
"Paddy straw burning is a matter of grave concern in the National Capital Region and its adjoining areas. Ex-situ utilisation of paddy straw is an important strategy among various means to prevent and control its burning," the Commission for Air Quality Management said.
"The commission directs all the 11 thermal power plants within 300 km radius of Delhi to co-fire biomass-based pellets / torrefied pellets. This will ensure ex-situ management of paddy straw, reduction in air pollution and improvement of paddy straw utilisation as an economic resource," it said.
The commission said it conducted extensive stakeholders' consultations with the NTPC and other state and private power plant operators on the potential use of paddy stubble. "NTPC, based on extensive trials, confirmed that it is technically feasible to co-fire biomass pellets (up to 5-10 per cent) in thermal power plants without any modification in the boilers," the panel said. Success in trials conducted offers a huge opportunity for the utilisation of biomass in thermal power plants, it noted. The power plants have been asked to take up all steps to ensure that such co-firing begins at the earliest, the panel added.
The first action-taken report in compliance of the direction should be submitted to the commission by September 25, and reports thereafter may be sent on a monthly basis, it said.
The commission had earlier issued an advisory to Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for establishing a robust and continuous supply chain logistics for ex-situ utilisation of paddy straw. Last year, the share of stubble burning in Delhi's PM2.5 pollution level had risen to 40 per cent on November 1.
Meanwhile, the chief minister on Tuesday once again praised the results of the Pusa bi-decomposer, which will be sprayed on all paddy fields in Delhi by the govt for free.
Only two industries in the city's industrial areas were found using unapproved fuels during a two-day drive conducted by the DPCC across the capital recently, officials said on Tuesday.
