A think tank based in Pune has released a report- “Thermal Power Plants on the anvil, implications and the need for rationalisation”- which called for an immediate moratorium on any further grant of environmental clearance for thermal power plants (TPPs).

The report by Prayas Energy Group (Initiatives in Health, Energy, Learning and Parenthood), says a massive expansion of the thermal generation capacity is on the anvil. The total installed electricity generation capacity in India as on April 30, 2011 was 1,74,361 MW. Of this, coal-based capacity was 94,653 MW and gas-based capacity, 17,706 MW. Information collated from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) shows it has accorded clearance for a large number of coal and gas-based plants, whose capacity totals 1,92,913 MW.

Environmental clearance is at various stages for another 5,08,907 MW units. The report notes that denial of environmental clearance for a thermal plant is extremely rare. This means coal and gas plants, envisaged to produce around 7,01,820 MW, are waiting to be built. Coal-based plants account for 84 per cent of the projects in the pipeline.

These additions are more than six times the existing installed thermal capacity of 1,13,559 MW. It is also three times the capacity addition that is required to meet the needs of the high-renewable, high-efficiency scenario of 2032 projected by the Planning Commission’s Integrated Energy Policy report.

The Prayas report points out that many of the projects in the pipeline will be concentrated in a few areas. Only 30 districts (or 4.7 per cent of the total 626 districts in India) will have more than half of the proposed plants with their capacity adding up to about 3,80,000 MW. Several of these districts are adjoining, and hence the real concentration of power plants is even higher than that revealed by the district-wise figures.

Considering the capacity that has already been granted environmental clearance and is under construction, a moratorium and review can easily be carried out without jeopardising power needs in the next decade, the report points out.

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