Replying to a question in Rajya Sabha on the issue, Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said renovation, modernisation and life extension of old thermal power generating units and retirement of old and inefficient thermal generation units has been undertaken in a phased manner.
"The CO2 emission from thermal power plants in the country is comparatively higher than the global standards due to inferior quality of coal and higher ambient air temperature and cooling water temperature in India, resulting in more consumption of coal," he said.
Maintaining that public sector units owning old plants, the Minister said "all the owners of these old plants have been asked to give their specific programmes to either replace them or go in for renovation and modernisation. Already some 2,500 MW - I have the exact figure-has been replaced."
He said one of the constraints for changeover from old technology to new had been that the coal linkages were given for a particular plant only and were not allowed to be enhanced or changed and the old plants were not able to go in for new technology.