CII has requested the Ministry of Power to consider banning use ofi lead-based high voltage (HV) and extra high voltage (EHV) cables for underground power transmission lines and adopt “greener” alternatives.

A representation dated December 1 addressed to AK Bhalla, Power Secretary, and signed by Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Co-Chairman of CII National Committee on Power and MD of CLP India, argues that India has been slow in adopting greener alternatives to lead sheaths despite the global acknowledgement of lead toxicity and low- and middle-income countries bearing the greatest burden of this problem.

Cost-effective

“Green alternatives, such as aluminium sheaths, are just as efficient as lead sheaths, if not more, and cost 30-40 per cent less. However, several state-run utilities have still not made this crucial transition,” the letter claims.

The CII representation noted that lead-based metallic sheath used in power cables for earthing and anti-corrosion purposes contributes to 35-48 per cent of the weight of cables of voltage levels ranging from 66 kV to 220 kV.

“This translates almost to the extent that a single km of cable, which weighs about 20 tonne/km has lead content of almost 8 tonne/km,” it notes, adding that underground power cables have an average life span of 25-30 years and once they are laid, they are never dismantled.

“As a result, a huge amount of lead is lying buried underground and probably seeping into the soil, the water-tables and the ecosystem, undetected,” the letter adds.

It also notes that while the government had in 2015 immediately reacted to reports of lead being found in Maggi noodles, “similar scale of intervention has not been observed when lead is getting buried underground in tonnage levels”.

The CII representation suggests aluminium-based cable sheaths are a greener and cheaper alternatives to lead. It adds that while all manufacturers of lead-based power cables also have the capability to manufacture non-lead based alternatives, there is no push for the greener option by some of the state utilities “due to lack of government directive or inertia to change or misinformation or confluence of these factors”.

Several cable manufacturing industry players who spoke to BusinessLine on conditions of anonymity, however, note that many utilities in their tenders for transmission lines specify the need to supply aluminium-sheathed cables. ‘It may not be a written policy, but the industry has been moving away from lead not only in the developed world, but in India as well,” one of the sources said.

Two other sources, both from the cable manufacturing industry, suggested the reason for CII to seek a ban on lead-sheathed cables could be “an effort of some selective players” who entered the market in the 1990s (compared to industry pioneers like Universal Cables, Cable Corporation of India and others who set up manufacturing lines in the 1950s and the 1960s) to push the aluminium alternative.

Level playing field

One person also noted that since a large quantity of high voltage and extra high voltage (EHV, up to 440 kv voltage) cables used in transmission projects is still imported, mainly from Europe, China and Thailand, a ban on lead-sheathed cables would create a level playing field for Indian cable manufacturers which have not yet gained significant presence in high voltage segments.

Only a handful of manufacturers in India, including Universal Cables, CCI, KEI Industries Ltd, Finolex Cables, RPG Cables and Sterlite Power, a part of Vedanta Group which is one of India’s largest aluminium producer, currently manufacture HV and EHV power cables, many of them through joint ventures with European or Japanese majors.

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