Biodiversity & Environment
Balancing Sustainable Energy Goals with Coal Realities
- 27 Nov 2023
- 9 min read
For Prelims: Coal, Sustainable Development, Renewable energy, Paris Agreement, Thermal Power Plants
For Mains: India's Reliance on coal in its Energy Portfolio and its Impact, India’s renewable energy
Why in News?
In the evolving landscape of renewable energy, the clash between traditional and eco-friendly practices is evident.
- Coal, a widely used yet highly polluting energy source, stands as a major hurdle for global sustainability goals.
- Despite efforts to embrace cleaner alternatives, coal remains a significant challenge for achieving sustainable development worldwide.
What is the Role of Coal in the Energy Mix?
- Coal in Global Global Energy Mix:
- In 2022, oil, coal, and gas accounted for 30%, 27%, and 23% of the world’s total energy, while solar and wind energy sources together contributed only 2.4%.
- Coal supplies just over a third of global electricity generation even though it is the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel.
- In 2022, oil, coal, and gas accounted for 30%, 27%, and 23% of the world’s total energy, while solar and wind energy sources together contributed only 2.4%.
- Coal in India’s Energy Context:
- Only 10.4% of India's primary energy consumption is from renewables; coal and oil gas dominate at 55.1% and 33.3% in 2022.
- Coal-fired thermal power plants (TPPs) generated 74.3% of India's electricity during FY 2022-2023, and generation by TPPs continues to grow to meet demand.
- 96% of the coal used by TPPs in India comes from domestic mines and is key to why electricity is so affordable in India.
- India's National Electricity Plan projects that TPP capacity in India will reach 259-262 GW by FY32, from 212 GW in FY23.
- India's per capita energy supply stands at 37% of the global average, highlighting a growing energy demand that aligns with the Human Development Index.
- To balance this with India's long-term goal of reaching net zero by 2070, the country must continue to implement clean coal technologies to reduce the power sector's emissions.
- The efficient operation of TPPs (thermal power plants) is crucial for India to ensure continuous and affordable supply to meet peak and off-peak demands.
- India’s cumulative emissions from fossil fuels and industry between the start of the industrial revolution in 1750 and the end of 2021 are only 3.3% of the global total, far behind those of Europe (31%), the U.S. (24.3%), and China (14.4%).
What are the Environmental and Social Impacts of Coal?
- Coal Quality and Transportation:
- Indian coal contains high levels of fly ash compared to coal from other major coal-mining countries.
- Burning coal with more ash leads to erosion and failure of boiler tubes, affecting plant availability, efficiency, and performance leading to an increase in emissions.
- Transporting unwashed raw coal to power plants located over 500 km away congests transportation systems and results in carbon dioxide emissions and environmental pollution.
- Sulphur Dioxide Emissions:
- Indian coal other than that from Assam and Meghalaya has lower sulphur content compared to coal used in Chinese power plants.
- Tall stacks and favourable weather conditions in India allow sulphur dioxide emissions to disperse far and wide.
- According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, historical sulphur dioxide emissions have created a cooling effect, masking global temperature rise.
- Indian coal other than that from Assam and Meghalaya has lower sulphur content compared to coal used in Chinese power plants.
- Flue Gas Desulphurisers (FGDs):
- Retrofitting existing power plants with FGDs increases specific coal consumption, lowers energy efficiency, and leads to higher emission intensity and temporary plant shutdowns.
- FGD is a process that removes sulfur dioxide (SO2) from exhaust gases.
- Retrofitting FGDs has been delayed in India due to the inability to shut down operating power plants.
- Retrofitting existing power plants with FGDs increases specific coal consumption, lowers energy efficiency, and leads to higher emission intensity and temporary plant shutdowns.
- Employment and Industry:
- The coal sector plays a vital role in industries like power, steel, cement, and aluminium, employing millions.
- Transition to cleaner energy could result in an imbalance in the preservation of jobs and economic stability.
- The coal sector plays a vital role in industries like power, steel, cement, and aluminium, employing millions.
- Energy Access and Affordability:
- Coal contributes significantly to electricity generation, ensuring access and affordability for a large population.
- Transitioning to renewables must consider maintaining affordable and reliable energy access.
- Coal contributes significantly to electricity generation, ensuring access and affordability for a large population.
What are the Strategies to Reduce Coal's Impact on Sustainable Development?
- Efficiency Enhancement in Thermal Power Plants (TPPs):
- Invest in research and development to increase the efficiency of existing coal-fired TPPs.
- Implement advanced technologies and operational improvements to reduce emissions per unit of electricity generated.
- Promotion of Clean Coal Technologies:
- Allocate resources and incentives for the development and implementation of clean coal technologies.
- Prioritize technologies that significantly reduce carbon emissions and improve overall environmental performance.
- Allocate resources and incentives for the development and implementation of clean coal technologies.
- Diversification of Energy Sources:
- Accelerate the deployment of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, to decrease dependence on coal.
- Develop policies that encourage a diverse energy mix, ensuring a gradual transition towards cleaner alternatives.
- Accelerate the deployment of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, to decrease dependence on coal.
- Global Cooperation for Critical Minerals:
- Collaborate with international partners to secure a stable and diversified supply chain for critical minerals required for battery storage.
- Most of the critical materials required for grid-scale battery storage are controlled by the top three producers – especially China.
- Explore diplomatic avenues to mitigate risks associated with import dependencies on countries like China.
- Batteries might only become cost-effective after 2030, necessitating a focus on other strategies in the interim.
- Collaborate with international partners to secure a stable and diversified supply chain for critical minerals required for battery storage.
- Nuclear Energy Expansion:
- Increase investment and support for nuclear energy as a low-carbon alternative to coal.
- Encourage research and development for small modular nuclear reactors for enhanced efficiency and safety.
- Increase investment and support for nuclear energy as a low-carbon alternative to coal.
- Pumped Storage Projects and Grid Integration:
- Enhance pumped storage projects to efficiently integrate intermittent renewable energy sources like solar and wind into the power grid.
- Develop smart grid technologies for better management of variable energy inputs.
- Washed Coal Mandate:
- Enforce regulations mandating the use of washed coal in TPPs located more than 500 km from mines to reduce environmental impact.
- Integrate coal-washing charges into the tariff determination process to ensure economic feasibility.
- This reduces carbon dioxide emissions and environmental pollution.
- Incentivizing Low-Carbon Technologies:
- Approximately 30% of current power plant capacity in India is based on supercritical or ultra-supercritical technologies.
- Advanced ultra-supercritical technology (AUSC) reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 15% compared to supercritical technology.
- Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants have efficiencies of 46-48% and can capture carbon dioxide.
- Incentivize projects to prove IGCC or AUSC technologies at scale before 2030.
- Encourage NTPC to repurpose some power plant sites for small modular nuclear reactors for zero-carbon electricity generation.
- Low-carbon development is not a choice but a necessity for India, as reflected in its 'Long-term Low-Emissions Development Strategy' submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Paris Agreement.
- Encourage research initiatives to explore and develop carbon capture technologies for existing TPPs.
- Transitioning to renewables must consider maintaining affordable and reliable energy access.
- Approximately 30% of current power plant capacity in India is based on supercritical or ultra-supercritical technologies.
- Particulate Emission Reduction:
- Implement a 'graded priority' approach for power plant pollutants, prioritizing the reduction of particulate matter.
- Deploy cost-effective electrostatic precipitators to achieve a 99.97% reduction in particulate emissions.
- Implement a 'graded priority' approach for power plant pollutants, prioritizing the reduction of particulate matter.
UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ)
Prelims
Q1. Consider the following statements: (2020)
- Coal ash contains arsenic, lead and mercury.
- Coal-fired power plants release sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen into the environment.
- High ash content is observed in Indian coal.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans: (d)
