study<\/a> by the New Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) gives the country\u2019s first environmental rating of coal-based power plants and shows the sector\u2019s performance to be way below global benchmarks.<\/p>\nThe study covered 47 plants across 16 states, accounting for half the coal-based thermal power plants in India. It found that the sector performed poorly on all environmental and energy parametres, getting a score of 23%. As many as 40% of the plants scored below 20%. Globally, a thermal plant following all the best practices can get a score of 80%.<\/p>\n
The average efficiency of the Indian plants was 32.8%, one of the lowest among the major power producing countries. Their average carbon dioxide emissions were 14%\u00a0higher than the average in China. Carbon dioxide is the principal greenhouse gas that is causing climate change, which in turn is reducing farm output worldwide, raising sea levels and making droughts, storms and floods more frequent and more severe.<\/p>\n
The study also found that in a country that faces regular power outages, thermal plants are operating at only 60-70% capacity. If capacity utilisation is improved, the sector can meet additional power requirement without building new plants.<\/p>\n
Sunita Narain, director general at\u00a0CSE, said,\u00a0\u201c<\/strong>The objective of the study was to give a clear picture of the environmental performance of the sector. Given the rapid increase in coal-based power projected by the government, stress on precious resources like water and\u00a0land\u00a0will increase and air and water pollution will worsen, unless corrective measures are taken by the industry and policy-makers.\u201d India\u2019s latest official plan envisages 110 GW more will be produced through coal-based thermal power by 2022.<\/p>\n