Coal power plants need an integrated approach
As the contribution of renewable energy (RE) in electricity supply increases, proportionally fewer coal plants may be needed. The ones that remain will have to operate more flexibly to accommodate the varying nature of RE. Most coal plants were not designed to operate this way. In addition, there are regulations to clean up coal power by retrofitting equipment for pollution control. The problem is that all three aspects — retirement of older plants, pollution control equipment, and making plants more flexible — are being planned in isolation. By thinking at a systemic level, we can address all three aspects at a lower cost, with better public health outcomes.
At a national level, there is excess generating capacity. This has provided the rationale for several studies recommending early retirement of older coal plants, mostly using a plant age of 25 years as the threshold. These studies suggest replacing the energy from these older plants by RE or energy from newer, and presumably more efficient, coal plants that have not been able to run to full capacity. The ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC)’s emissions norms require emissions control systems (ECS) for oxides of sulphur (SOx), nitrogen (NOx) and other pollutants. While there are fewer details on regulations or rules for making coal plants more flexible, many utilities are working on doing so.
