Andhra may be among top emitters
The setting up of 63 thermal power plants along the coast line of Andhra Pradesh will place this state in the category of one of the biggest carbon emitters in the world.
The biggest amongst these power stations is the Krishnapatnam power station which claims it will provide electricity to 7 million homes.
Dr Babu Rao, a retired chemical engineer formerly with the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, pointed out, “One of the main reasons why these power plants are located along the coastline is that the owners of these ports and plants hoped to benefit from the cheap coal they could import from Australia, Indonesia and South Africa. But increasing cost of coal has put a spanner to their plans.”
The scale of such gigantic expansion has led to largescale displacement of local communities who are finding it difficult to cope with increasing levels of pollution.
The key question being asked is does the state require such a quantum jump in electricity.
This excess electricity can be sold. Project officials of these power plants point out that apart from accessibility to ports, the advantage of having thermal plants near the sea is that coal-based plants need large quantities of water to cool the steam produced and convert it into electricity.
Twenty-eight of these thermal plants are coming up in Nellore district alone. Dr Narasimha Rao, associated with NAPM said, “These power plants will end up emanating several lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide, sodium dioxide and nitrous dioxide per annum apart from adversely affecting the water, agriculture, terrain and atmosphere of this entire region.”
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