Context

Coal will continue to be the mainstay of India’s power generation till at least 2030, but efforts must made to ensure it is used efficiently to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to CSE. 

About

How big is India’s coal sector?

India produces over 85 minerals including coal, lignite, bauxite, chromite, copper ore and concentrates, iron ore, lead and zinc concentrates, manganese ore, silver, diamond, limestone, phosphorite etc.

• Production and import: India is the second-largest producer and importer of coal in the world.
• CO2 emission: India’s coal-based thermal power sector is one of the country’s biggest emitters of carbon dioxide (CO2).
• GHG emission: It spews out 1.1 gigatonne of CO2 every year; this is 2.5 per cent of global GHG emissions, one-third of India’s GHG emissions, and around 50 percent of India’s fuel-related CO2 emissions.
• Ash content: Indian coal is known to contain 30-50% ash, meaning that for every two units of coal burned, one unit of ash could be produced. 
• Besides the creation of poisonous landfills in the ground, the burning of poor quality coal increases carbon emissions and air pollution, a danger to public health. 

What are the feasible measured to cut GHG emissions?

The webinar, titled Reducing CO2 footprints of India’s coal-based power sector, brought together some key experts from the field to discuss the issue. The following measures were put forth by experts during the webinar:

• Improve fleet technology and efficiency, renovate and modernise:India has one of the youngest coal fleets in the world, with around 64 per cent of the capacity (132 GW) less than a decade old. Maintaining efficiency of this large fleet will be crucial as it is going to be operational for at least the next 15-20 years. The government’s renovation and modernisation policies need to play a key role in maintaining the efficiency of this fleet.
• Plan for the old capacity:In 2015, over 34 GW capacity in India was more than 25 years old, and 60 per cent of it was highly inefficient. Increasing India’s renewable electricity generation can help further the cause to accelerate the retirement of old and inefficient plants.
• Propagate biomass co-firing:Biomass co-firing is a globally accepted cost-effective method for decarbonising a coal fleet. Only one plant currently co-fires biomass in India. India is a country where biomass is usually burnt on the field — this reflects apathy towards resolving the problem of clean coal using a very simple solution that is readily available. 
• Invest in carbon capture and storage (CCS):Globally, carbon capture and storage has struggled to pick up. India’s prospects appear to be dim at least until 2030. Businesses should invest in indigenous research and development to bring down the costs of CCS. 
• Bring back coal beneficiation:This is another missed opportunity on which we need a course correction.
  • A 1997 environment ministry notification had mandated the use of beneficiated coal from 2001 with ash content not more than 34 per cent.
  • However, in 2020, overturning the good work, the government allowed use of coal irrespective of the ash content.

The measures, among others, could help cut GHG emissions by 22 per cent, according to CSE.