News
Rs. 10 added to every unit of electricity generated by Lakvijaya due to environment, health costs
The damage caused by the Lakvijaya coal power station to people around it and the environment adds at least Rs 10.23 to each unit of electricity generated by the plant, a team of experts has found.
The impacts considered by the Sri Lanka Energy Managers Association (SLEMA) were greenhouse and other gaseous emissions, resource depletion, thermal, particulate and fugitive — from coal transport, storage and handling — emissions, heavy metal and water pollution and noise and vibration.
The actual cost of power from coal was under debate between regulator the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), the World Bank said last year. In 2017, the CEB estimated the cost to be in the range of 5.86 US cents per kilowatt hour, without plant financing cost. The PUCSL countered that it was 11 US cents per kWh, or Rs 18.60, including plant financing.
Regardless of what it is, the price goes up by Rs 10.23 per unit in social and environmental cost, the SLEMA report titled ‘Estimation of External Cost of Thermal Power Generation’ shows.
A multidisciplinary team also studied the impact of the Yugadhanavi power plant at Kerawalapitiya, Kelanitissa power station at Peliyagoda and the Sapugaskanda power plant. It found Lakvijaya to cause the highest social and environmental harm.
The fact that Lakvijaya has not complied with some environmental regulations aggravates many of the negative impacts studied. However, SLEMA observes, “most of these non-compliance issues are currently being resolved.” The combustion of coal and diesel produces greenhouse gases. Other emissions are sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Coal power plants typically have flue gas desulphurization systems (FGDS) to remove harmful emissions from smoke. But tests at Lakvijaya show a higher concentration of sulphur dioxide in the smoke stacks of Units 1 and 2, pointing to “poor reliability” of the FGDS installed there.
The plant has three units generating 300 megawatts each. The first was commissioned in March 2011 and the other two in April and October 2014.
Ambient air quality measurements at limited locations and times “show compliance with the local standards”. To make conclusions, however, a more comprehensive, year-round measuring initiative was required, SLEMA says.
The plant uses sea water to produce steam in the boiler and to cool the condenser. This condenser cooling water is then used to remove sulphur from the flue gas which is emitted through a 150m tall chimney. During this process, sulphur and carbon dioxide are added to the seawater.
Lakvijaya is designed to operate at around 38 percentefficiency but is currently at around a percent lower. Higher efficiencies could have been achieved had proper planning been done, experts say. And frequent plant shutdowns at Norochcholai lead to additional resource losses including that of coal and diesel.
There were particulate matter emissions — common in coal power plants — from raw material stage, to stack emission and post-combustion storage. But total particulate matter levels in the stack “are of a satisfactory level, except during breakdowns of emission control devices”.
During a sampling period, for instance, the SLEMA team observed that part of the particulate matter control device (electrostatic precipitator) was partly broken. Therefore, the particulate matter level of Unit 1 was high, despite still being below the maximum permissible limit.
With very high winds prevalent in the Kalpitiya peninsula, particulate emission “is creating substantial issues in the local area”. The coal storage yard and ash piles also contributed to this. Preventive action has been taken such as the building of a wind barrier wall and the continuous spraying of water on the ash piles.
The study team interviewed farmers, fishermen and residents. A random household survey was done among the community immediately affected by the plant. It produced usable responses from 184 households.
The main effect on agricultural activity was the coal dust blown in with heavy winds from the yard, the study found. It has led to a shift from high-valued crops (chillies and tobacco) to beetroot and other such crops.
“According to the farmers, tobacco and chillies are sensitive to dust and illustrates a significant reduction of yield when grown under the coal dust,” the report said. “Therefore, farmers have to opt for crops that could reasonably withstand coal dust, and beetroot was one such crop but with a lower value.”
It was found that farmers, on average, used sprinklers for 228.5 hours when the coal dust is present. When there is no dust, sprinkler usage is only 131.8 hours on average. This led to increased costs.
Coconut trees showed retarded growth and reduced yield due to the coal dust. “There is a burnt appearance in the leaves and covered with black soot,” the report says. “It was observed that the yield reduction per coconut tree per harvest was about 20 nuts and there are 30 acres that are affected in the sample.” Villagers have also uprooted some of the affected coconut trees in their lands.
Eighty-percent of respondents to the survey agreed they have been affected by the coal power plant; 65 percent indicated breathing difficulties; and 58% have said they were at risk of contracting other respiratory illnesses. Many maintained that their conditions worsened during the windy season.
“It must be noted however, that the above numbers of affected people are probably vastly underestimated,” SLEMA holds. “Probability of identifying a health problem and taking treatment is rather low among the people with lower education and income levels.” The study omitted the cost of health damage to Lakvijaya workers.
While the plant has taken several measures to reduce pollution due to coal and ash dust (wind barrier, mist cannon spray, mist blowers and sprinklers), “despite these mitigation measures, nearby communities have experienced the damages continuously”.
The study was commissioned by the PUCSL.