OREANDA-NEWS. Reaffirming its commitment towards better environment, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has geared up for the manufacture and supply of state-of-the-art pollution control equipment to meet the emerging requirement of thermal power plants. The equipment called Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) system, removes Sulphur DiOxide (SO2) from the flue gas. Sulphur DiOxide (SO2) is generated while firing fuels like coal and oil.

To this effect, BHEL has entered into a License Agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI), Japan - a leading supplier of FGD Systems, for acquiring FGD system technology, finding application in fossil fuel power plants.

The agreement was signed here, by Mr. O.P. Bhutani, Director (E, R&D), BHEL, and Mr. Naohito Hoshino, Senior Vice President & Deputy Head of Engineering Headquarters, MHI, in the presence of Mr. B. Prasada Rao, Chairman and Managing Director, BHEL and other functional Directors of BHEL, besides other senior officers from BHEL and MHI.

The FGD systems will be engineered and manufactured at the Ranipet unit of BHEL in Tamilnadu.BHEL has proactively taken this initiative with respect to the air pollution control market in India even before the market emerges by introducing this state-of-the-art technology. With the growing concern for environmental pollution in the country, Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment and Forests, is expected to stipulate stringent control regulations towards Sulphur DiOxide (SO2) emissions for power plants.

CEA has already advised power project developers that for all new power plants, provision of space for FGD plants has to be included and in future, these power plants would be required to install FGD systems. Further, it is expected that some of the upcoming power projects including Ultra Mega Power Projects would be set up in coastal areas utilising imported coal having high sulphur content and they may have to install FGD systems. These coastal projects would require FGD systems mostly based on seawater FGD technology.

Areas with high density of power plants such as Korba, Singrauli, Vindhyachal, Bokaro etc., have a high concentration of SOx in the environment, and therefore any new power plant coming up in these areas would be required to install FGD system to get environmental clearance. All power plants in the vicinity of urban areas are also expected to install FGD systems to limit (SO2) emissions.

MHI Japan is actively engaged in engineering, manufacture and sale of power system equipment, ships, industrial machinery, space systems and environmental improvement equipment including Flue Gas Desulphurisation Systems. MHI employs about sixty nine thousand people and had sales revenue of approximately USD