Delhi News: Starting from Sunday, October 1, the prohibition on the operation of diesel generator (DG) sets, rated at 19 kW or higher, will come into effect in Delhi-NCR, unless they have been retrofitted with emission control devices or dual fuel kits.
Order was passed in June
The regulation, encompassing all districts in the National Capital Region including Noida, Greater Noida, and Gurugram, was mandated by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on June 8. It was put in place to allow stakeholders sufficient time to make necessary arrangements.
Furthermore, the directive prohibits the utilization of sizable diesel generators for backup purposes in industrial, commercial, and residential zones throughout the NCR, starting from Sunday. To mitigate emissions, these machines are equipped with emission control devices (ECDs) installed at their exhausts to capture pollutants like particulate matter and gases. The implementation of dual fuel mode kits enables these machines to operate on various fuels, including both diesel and natural gas.
Which generators can be used?
According to the June 8 directive, diesel generators with a capacity exceeding 19 kW, which are capable of running on LPG, natural gas, biogas, propane, or butane, are exempted from the restrictions. Their usage will not be curtailed, even as part of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to combat rising pollution during the winter season.
For DG sets falling in the range of 19 kW to less than 125 kW, they must operate using a dual fuel mode, utilizing both natural gas and diesel. CAQM has stated that such DG sets will face no restrictions on their operation, except during GRAP periods when they will be permitted to run for a maximum of two hours.
No exemptions for the following
Diesel generator sets ranging from 125 kW to 800 kW must operate in dual fuel mode and have emission control devices retrofitted. Despite these requirements, there will be no restrictions on the usage of such DG sets, even during GRAP periods.
Generators exceeding a capacity of 800 kW will need to be retrofitted either with dual fuel kits or emission control devices (ECDs). These sets will only encounter restrictions during GRAP periods, permitting them to run for a maximum of two hours. However, new generating sets with a capacity exceeding 800 kW that adhere to the rigorous standards established by the Union environment ministry on November 3, 2022, will not face any restrictions.
GRAP and diesel generators
CAQM has emphasized that for this winter, there will be no exemptions granted under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a departure from previous years when DG sets were permitted for essential and emergent services such as elevators, ISBTs, airports, healthcare establishments, metro stations, sewage treatment facilities, and telecommunication and data service institutions. Although retrofitting was mandated last year, exemptions for these essential service categories were still available.
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