Power plants told to bear cost of fly ash transportation

With nearly half of massive volume of fly ash generated by thermal power plants remaining unutilised in Odisha, the State government has instructed all power plants having generation capacity more than 100 mw to bear cost of fly ash transportation to destinations up to 100 km.

Fly ash, a residue of coal burning, has huge negative environmental impact in and around thermal power plants.

“All power plants have been instructed to supply fly ash free of cost to brick manufacturing units. All thermal power plants having power generation capacity more than 100 MW have been instructed to subsidise transport cost at the rate of Rs.150 per tonne or provide free transportation up to 100 km,” State Pollution Control Board sources said.

Earlier, the government had asked coal-fired power plants to provide fly ash free of cost to brick manufacturing units. But many were reluctant to use fly ash considering its high transportation cost.

To increase utilisation of fly ash, the Works Department had already made notification making mandatory use of fly ash bricks in construction of government buildings situated within 100 km radius of power plant.

In 2014-15, total 36 power plants with an installed capacity of 14,244 mw had generated 24.687 million metric tonnes (MMT) of fly ash. Of this, only 12.94 MMT could be used, constituting only 52.43 per cent.

If fly ash utilisation pattern in Odisha is analysed, one would find power plant operators failing to use it meaningfully. Of total fly ash utilisation of 12.94 MMT, 3.63 MMT was used in raising dyke of ash ponds and 4.20 MMT was disposed of in low land. SPCB sources said 1.36 MMT and 1.25 MMT were used for filling of coal mine voids and stone quarries.

Other uses such as making of bricks, using ingredient of cement and asbestos and road making constitute less than 10 per cent of total fly ash generation. In reality, thermal power plants have not managed to utilise fly ash over the years. Dismal utilisation of fly ash has also continued in the current year. There are 37 thermal power plants producing 15,444 mw of power in Odisha in 2015.