Environmental Impact Assessment

(EIA)
of
Thermal Power Plant

By:Vandana Bharti
Department of Environmental Engineering
Ch. B.P. Government Engineering College
New Delhi (India)

SUMMARY TABLE OF ELECTRIC

POWER GENERATION
Source

India

Japan

U.S.

Coal

59.2%

21.2%

51.8%

Oil

13.9%

16.6%

03.1%

Gas

06.3%

22.1%

15.7%

Nuclear

02.5%

30.0%

19.9%

Hydro

17.8%

08.2%

07.4%

Others

00.3%

01.9%

02.2%
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Ref:-CPCB-2012

INTRODUCTION
A thermal power station is a power plant in
which the prime mover is steam driven. Water
is heated, turns into steam and spins a steam
turbine which drives an electrical generator.
After it passes through the turbine, the steam is
condensed in a condenser and recycled to where
it was heated; this is known as a Rankine
cycle .

MECHANICAL DESIGN

Boiler.
Furnace.
Turbine.
Super Heater & Re- Heater.
PA,FD & ID Fan.
Cooling Tower

FUNCTION HELD IN PLANT

Coal Flow
Steam Flow
Water Flow
Ash Handeling

FEED WATER SYSTEM

High Pressure Heaters

Boiler Feed Pump (BFP)
Feed Regulating System
Drip & Drain System

PLANT LAYOUT

PROCESS

Coal

supply
After haulers drop off the coal, a set of crusher and conveyor
prepare and deliver the coal to the power plant. When the
plant need coal, coal hopper crush coal to a few inches in
size and the conveyor belt bringing the coal inside.
WAGON TIPPLER:
It is the machine which is used to tip the coal from the
wagon. The coal tipped is directly feed to conveyor belt. Its
capacity is 12 wagon per hour.
CRUSHER:
It crushes the coal into small pieces.
COAL MILLS:
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In it small pieces of coal are converted into pulverized from.

FURNACE:
It is the chamber in which fuel burns & fire blows.
BOILER DRUM:
It contains water for boiling.
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR:
In this we have electrodes which attract fly ash and extract it
from flue gases so that it cannot enter atmosphere.
CHIMENY:
It is used to release flue gases into the atmosphere.
TURBINE:
Turbine is the part which revolves due to steam pressure. It
is of three types.
a) High pressure turbine.
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b) Intermediate pressure turbine.
c) Low pressure turbine.

TURBO GENERATOR:
It is the main machine which produces250 MW electricity .
CONDENSER:
It condenses steam coming from low pressure turbine (L.P.T.)
to hot water. By removing air and other non-condensable
gases from steam while passing through them.
COOLING WATER (C.W.) PUMP:
This pump send water from cooling tower to condenser.
COOLING TOWER:
It is used to cool the water its height is near about 143.5 mtrs.
The hot water is led to the tower top and falls down through
the tower and is broken into small particles while passing
over the baffing devices. Air enters the tower from the
bottom and flow upwards. The air vaporizes a small
percentage of water, thereby cooling water falls down 9into
tank below the tower from where it is pumped to the
condenser and cycle is repeated.

10

Environmental
Issues Associated
With a Thermal
Power Plant
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ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN COAL BASED POWER GENERATION

Air Pollution
:-High particulate matter emission levels due to
burning of
inferior grade coal which leads to
generation of large quantity
of flyash
Emissions of SO2, NOx & Green house gas (CO2) are also
matter of
concern
Water Pollution
:- Mainly caused by the effluent discharge from
ash ponds,
condenser cooling /cooling tower, DM
plant and Boiler blow
down.
Noise Pollution
:- High noise levels due to release of high
pressure steam and
running of fans and motors
Land Degradation :- About 100 million tonnes of fly ash is generated
by use of coal far
energy production. The disposal of such
large quantity of fly
ash has occupied thousands
hectares of land which includes
agricultural and forest
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land too.

POLLUTION LOAD FROM COAL

BASED THERMAL POWER PLANT
Pollutants
CO2

Emissions (in tones/day)

424650

Particulate
Matter
SO2

4374

NOx

4966

3311

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Ref:-CPCB
2012

Status of Pollution Control in Thermal Power

Plants in India

Total number of power plants

: 81

Air Pollution
Power plants complying with emission
:43
standards
Power plants not complying with emission : 35
standards
Power plants closed
:03

Water Pollution

Power plants complying with ash pond

:49

Effluent standards
Power plants not complying with ash pond : 29
Effluent standards
Power plants closed
:
03

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Ref:-CPCB
2012

Activities involved and their Impacts

Change in land use pattern/ Site clearing:Erosion
Loss of biodiversity
Loss or change of soil quality and quantity
Huge diversion and acquisition of land in case of power plant with Captive mining
Civil works:Dust pollution
Noise pollution
Operational Activities:Air pollution
Waste generation
Water consumption
Emission of mercury
Greenhouse emission
Local biodiversity
Solid waste management
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Activities involved and their Impacts

Air pollution from point sources:Particulate matter, Gaseous emission- SOx,, NOx,CO, CO2, hydrocarbon etc
Air pollution from non-point sources:Transport of coal, loading/unloading, coal storage, fly-ash handeling
Sources of water pollution:Cooling tower blow down, Boiler blow down, Demineralisation (DM), plant effluent,
Leachate of heavy metal (ash pond) contaminate ground water, Effluent from oil handeling
and transformer areas, power house and turbine Area Effluent , Domestic waste water

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REASONS FOR NON-COMPLIANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL

STANDARDS IN THERMAL POWER PLANTS
Inconsistent supply of coal
High resistivity of coal
Inefficient operation of ESPs
Delay in supply of ESPs
Low Specific Collection Area (SCA) of ESPs
Inefficient management of ash ponds
Large quantities of ash generation

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For better understanding of EIA

An Indian Case Study
On
Comprehensive EIA
Of
THERMAL POWER PLANT
at
Raigarh district of Chattisgarh
by
Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL)
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Project Proposal

JSPL is operating a open cast coal mine, along with

Crushing, Screening and Washing
plant

JSPL is now proposing to set up a 2*150 MW thermal

power plant which will use the middling and coal fines
generated during coal washing as Raw material
The company runs a steel plant in Raigarh and proposes to
transmit the power generated by this thermal power plant
to its steel plant through its own dedicated transmission
network
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Salient features of the project

Location
Village- Dongamahua, 50kms away from Raigarh
The KELO river flows at a distance of around 3.5 kms from this proposed site. There
are many seasonal drains and tributeries of the Kelo, which ultemately merge into
the river
Fuel
Coal
Requires 2.47 million tonnes of coal per annum (@ 312tonnes/hr for 330 days)
Middlings and coal fines will be tranported to plant site via road or conveyor belts
The project will also require some light diesel oil (LDO)
Water Requirement
7.46 MCM which will be sourced from ground water collected in the mine sump, and
from bore borewell
Land use
Requires 56 acres (22.7 hectares of land), Flat topography, either agricultural or
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wasteland
Human habitation
94 inhabited revenue villages

IMPACT ANALYSIS
Type biophysical, social, health or economic
Nature direct or indirect, cumulative, etc.
Magnitude or high, moderate, low
severity
Extent local, regional, trans-boundary or global
Timing immediate/long term
Duration temporary/permanent
Uncertainty low likelihood/high probability
Reversibility reversible/irreversible
Significance* unimportant/important
21

TOOLS FOR IMPACT ANALYSIS

checklists

matrices

networks

overlays and geographical information systems (GIS)

expert systems

professional judgement

22

IMPACT MITIGATION
to avoid, minimise or remedy adverse
impacts
to ensure that residual impacts are within
acceptable levels
to enhance environmental and social
benefits
23

FRAMEWORK FOR IMPACT

MITIGATION

Common (desirable)

Avoidance

Alternative sites or
technology to
eliminate habitat loss

Mitigation

Actions during
design, construction and
operation to minimise
or eliminate habitat
loss

Compensation

Used as a last resort

to offset habitat loss

Rare (undesirable)
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REPORTING
Different name of EIA reports

Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIA

Report)

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

Environmental Statement (ES)

Environmental Assessment Report (EA Report)

Environmental Effects Statement (EES)

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Remediation Measures in Thermal power plant

Air pollution control:For boiler stacks
ESP/ Bag house
Coal crusher
Bag filter
Coal mill
Bag filter
SOx control:Use of alternative fuel
Low sulphur containing fuel
Lime dosing
High stack

NOx control:Ammonia injection

Low NOx burner
Flue gas recirculation
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Remediation Measures in Thermal power plant

Fugitive Dust control:Covered storage yard for coal
Closed unloading of coal with adequate dust suction device
Closed conveyor belt for transportation of raw
Fly ash management:Ash disposal site should be lined to prevent metal contamination
Construction of green barrier all around the ash pond
Construction of piezometric holes
Recycling of ash pond effluents
New technologies practices:Water conservation techniques:Practices to reduce transportation impact:Practices for soil management:-

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REFRENCES:1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

CPCB
An India case study on Thermal power plants
International journal of Environmental Engineering and management
www.envfor.nic.in
www.harmo.org/confrences
www.environmental-experts.com
Dr. Amit Jain

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