New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Tuesday warned of penal action against 11 thermal power plants within a 300 km radius of Delhi, citing their poor performance with regard to the co-firing of biomass pellets.
Biomass co-firing is the practice of substituting a part of the fuel with biomass at coal thermal plants which can help cut emissions.
Ex-situ utilization of paddy straw being an important strategy to control stubble burning, the panel in September last year had directed all the 11 coal-based power plants to begin co-firing biomass pellets (including paddy straw) up to 10 percent of their coal requirement.
The commission recently convened a meeting with the in-charges or representatives of the 11 TPPs to take stock of the progress of biomass co-firing.
During the review, it noted that the progress towards co-firing and tendering by the TPPs was "not up to the desired levels".
The panel advised the representatives of the 11 TPPs to strictly comply with the statutory directions and achieve the targeted quantity of biomass to be co-fired, "failing which they shall be liable for suitable penal actions", a statement said.
Of the 11 TPPs, four including Panipat Thermal Power Station; Talwandi Sabo Power Limited, Mansa; Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Power Plant, Ropar and Guru Hargobind Thermal Power Plant, Lehra Mohabbat have still not started the co-firing of biomass as mandated.
Short term tenders have been processed by five TPPs and long-term tendering has been initiated only by two NTPC TPPs.
As on March 15, total biomass used in co-firing is 20,843 metric tonnes, the total tender awarded is 4.38 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) and tendering is in process for 38.34 LMT of biomass by 11 NCR TPPs.