The Hindu Business Line : Govt not planning to install CCS facilities

NEW DELHI: The developed countries might be promoting Carbon Storage Capture (CCS) facilities to curb greenhouse gases causing climate change but the Government has dropped its plans of installing such mechanism in the country’s power stations in view of huge cost.

“Installation of CCS facilities in the power stations is economically not viable due to capital additional cost involved with CO2 capture, transportation and storage,” the Environment Minister, Mr Jairam Ramesh said.

CCS involves collecting, at its source, the CO2 that is produced by power plants or industrial facilities and storing it away for a long time in underground layers, in the oceans, or in other materials.

Mr Ramesh pointed out that this would also increase the cost of electricity generation by more than 100 per cent and the residential and industrial consumers might not afford it.

“The Government has taken a considered stand that there will be no installation of CCS in the Central and State-run power utilities in the short-term.

“However, the government would be ready to depute engineers and scientists to CCS locations abroad for training and capacity building,” he said.

The State-run power utilities and independent power producers (IPPs) have been making representation to the Centre, objecting to the installation of CCS facility on the grounds that the cost of capital would increase by 100 to 150 per cent. - PTI

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