Yelahanka power plant compliant with pollution board regulations: KPCL

Bengaluru: Officials from the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) on Tuesday claimed that the 370-mega watt Yelahanka Combined Cycle Power (YCCP) Plant was compliant with the state pollution control board’s regulations, and assured that it did not pose any environmental hazards, especially to the local residents.

The power plant, which is currently undergoing trial runs, is expected to commence full operations by the first week of May. 

The combined gas and steam turbine plant has attracted criticism due to being positioned near the Puttenahalli and Yelahanka lakes and with several residential apartments nearby.

Less than a week ago, residents were alarmed to see smoke emanating from the plant, which the officials reportedly claimed was only steam and not hazardous smoke.

During a media visit to the 102-acre YCCP plant on Tuesday, KPCL officials noted that some steam venting out and subsequent noise was a temporary phenomenon, which would occur occasionally during trial runs until the full operations commenced.

“There is nothing for local residents to panic about or express concern,” said a KPCL official.

Officials said that the plant uses 15 mega litres of tertiary treated sewage water per day supplied directly by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) via pipes from the Jakkur treatment plant.

The water is collected in two ponds with a capacity of 58,000 cubic metres each inside the YCCP plant. Additionally, it uses RLNG (Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas) supplied by GAIL via an 18-inch pipeline; the gas emits less than 25 PPM of nitrogen oxide and no sulphur oxide, they added.

At full capacity, the gas turbine can produce 236.825 MW, while the steam turbine can produce 133.225 MW. Currently, only the gas turbine is up and running, but not yet at full capacity.

To comply with all the rules set by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the KPCL has set up three real-time noise monitoring machines along the border facing the residential apartments to ensure sound levels are below the prescribed limit of 75 decibels.

Additionally, the KSPCB has also deployed a mobile van to record ambient air quality every day; the data will be made available on both the KSPCB and the Central Pollution Control Board’s websites for public access. The engineers noted that once the steam turbine begins operating, the sound levels will fall further as the steam will be repurposed to generate electricity.

Additionally, the YCCP plant is also equipped with a zero liquid discharge system at the cost of Rs 80 crore to treat and reuse water, and dispose of the salts through KSPCB-approved vendors.