Key Findings
- Globally, India is the largest emitter of sulfur dioxide (SO2) from the power sector, releasing over 6 million tonnes annually.
- Emission norms first issued in 2015 mandated the installation of flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems on CFPPs to reduce SO2 emissions by 2017. Not only has the deadline been extended four times, but the latest notification issued in July 2025 exempted 78% of coal-fired power plants from installing FGD systems.
- CREA’s estimates of SO2 emissions from CFPPs within a 300-km radius of the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) found that there are 12 coal-fired power plants with a total of 37 units — publicly available data on their stack emissions show that 20 units exceeded the SO2 emission standards, five complied, and the remaining 12 had no data available.
- Our assessment estimated that 154 kilotonnes of SO2 are emitted by 25 units with data. Of these, 90% of emissions come from CFPPs without FGD. Category “C” coal-fired power plants, which, by mandate, do not require FGD installation, accounted for 81% of estimated SO2 emissions.
- According to a recent peer-reviewed study, the energy sector contributed up to 16% of particulate matter pollution in the Delhi-NCR cities. The ongoing operation of CFPPs without any control technology contributes to the formation of secondary PM2.5, worsening local and transboundary pollution and posing health risks.
- CREA’s findings strongly recommend reinstating the mandatory installation of FGDs at all coal-fired power plants, regardless of their categorization. Real-time online continuous emission monitoring data must also be made available to the public to verify compliance.
Figure — Comparing the SO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants with and without FGD located within a 300-kilometer radius of Delhi NCR
