CO2 Baseline Database for Indian Power
CO2 Baseline Database for Indian Power
User Guide
Version 18.0
December 2022
Government of India
Ministry of Power
Central Electricity Authority
Sewa Bhawan, [Link],
New Delhi-66
Revision History of the Database
1.1 December 2006 - Adjusted fuel emission factor of lignite to be in line with Initial National Communication figures
2.0 June 2007 - Added data for FY 2005-06, including new stations and units commissioned during 2005-06
- Some retroactive changes to data for FY 2000-01 to 2004-05
3.0 December 2007 - Added data for FY 2006-07, including new stations and units commissioned during 2006-07
- Adapted calculations and User Guide to ensure consistency with new CDM methodologies:
ACM0002 Version 07, and Tool to Calculate the Emission Factor for an Electricity System (Ver-
sion 01.1, EB 35 Annex 12)
4.0 October 2008 - Added data for FY 2007-08, including new stations and units commissioned during 2007-08
- Adjusted delineation of regional grids
- Adjusted IPCC-based fuel emission factors to account for uncertainty in line with EB 35 Annex 12
5.0 November 2009 - Added data for FY 2008-09, including new stations and units commissioned during 2008-09
6.0 March 2011 - Added data for FY 2009-10, including new stations and units commissioned during 2009-10
7.0 January 2012 - Added data for FY 2010-11, including new stations and units commissioned during 2010-11
8.0 January 2013 - Added data for FY 2011-12, including new stations and units commissioned during 2011-12
- From FY 2011-12, scope of database is restricted to stations exceeding 25 MW
- Retroactive changes: Three units in NEWNE region identified as CDM units, leading to minor
change in build margin for FY 2010-11
9.0 December 2013 - Added data for FY 2012-13, including new stations and units commissioned during 2012-13
- Retroactive changes: Nine units identified as CDM units, leading to changes in build margins back
to FY 2009-10
- Updated GCVs of five stations back to FY 2008-09
10.0 December 2014 - Added data for FY 2013-14, including new stations and units commissioned during 2013-14
- Introduced distinction between Indian and imported coal as from FY 2013-14
- Retroactive changes to previous FY due to: identification of CDM units, identification of waste
heat recovery steam turbines, harmonization of GCV for oil used as secondary fuel
- One station was reclassified from SR to NEWNE region
11.0 April 2016 - Added data for FY 2014-15, including new stations and units commissioned during 2014-15
- Introduced integrated Single Indian Grid (NEWNE and Southern are now synchronized)
- Export of power to Bangladesh also considered in the Import/Export data.
12.0 May 2017 - Added data for FY 2015-16, including new stations and units commissioned during 2015-16
13.0 June 2018 - Added data for FY 2016-17, including new stations and units commissioned during 2016-17
- Export of power to Myanmar also considered in the Import/Export data.
14.0 December 2018 - Added data for FY 2017-18, including new stations and units commissioned during 2017-18
15.0 December 2019 - Added data for FY 2018-19, including new stations and units commissioned during 2018-19
16.0 March 2021 - Added data for FY 2019-20, including new stations and units commissioned during 2019-20
- Some retroactive changes to data for FY 2018-19
17.0 October 2021 - Added data for FY 2020-21, including new stations and units commissioned during 2020-21
18.0 September 2022 - Added data for FY 2021-22, including new stations and units commissioned during 2021-22
Contents
Summary .............................................................................................................................1
1 Background and Objective ..........................................................................................2
2 How to Use the Database ............................................................................................5
4 Data and Calculation Approach ....................................................................................8
4.1 Base Data ................................................................................................................8
4.2 Annual Data .............................................................................................................9
4.3 Calculation of CO2 Emissions ................................................................................10
4.4 Adjustment for Cross-Border Electricity Transfers ..................................................12
4.5 Generation from Renewable Energy Sources ........................................................12
4.6 Conservativeness ..................................................................................................12
5 Results ............................................................................................................................15
5.1 Results for Fiscal Year 2021-22 ...........................................................................15
5.2 Developments over Time .....................................................................................16
5.3 Changes compared to Previous Database Versions ............................................19
6 User Examples .............................................................................................................21
7 Updating Procedure ......................................................................................................24
8 Further Information....................................................................................................24
Annexure –I Weighted Average Emission Factor (Considering Renewable Energy
Generation) of Indian Grid............................................................................................25
Appendix A – Systems in India’s Grids ...........................................................................26
Appendix B – Assumptions for CO2 Emission Calculations ..........................................30
Appendix C – Grid Emission Factors ..............................................................................31
Appendix D – Summary of Methodology ACM0002 / Version 20.0 ................................32
Appendix E – Abbreviations .............................................................................................33
1
Summary
Since the emergence of the Kyoto Protocol and its Clean Development Mechanism (CDM),
energy projects lowering the carbon intensity of the electricity grid can generate additional rev-
enues from carbon credits. Methodologies approved by the CDM Executive Board have to be
applied to determine the resulting emission reductions, using the “baseline” CO2 emission fac-
tor of the relevant geographical area.
In order to facilitate adoption of authentic baseline emissions data and also to ensure uniformity
in the calculations of CO2 emission reductions by CDM project developers, Central Electricity
Authority (CEA) has compiled a database containing the necessary data on CO2 emissions for
all grid-connected power stations in India.
All regional grids have been integrated as a single Indian Grid covering all the states in De-
cember 2013. Small power exchanges also take place with the neighbouring countries Bhutan,
Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar. For the unified grid, the main emission factors are calculated
in accordance with the relevant CDM methodologies. CEA will continue updating the database
at the end of each fiscal year.
To show the impact of Renewable energy in reducing the Co2 emission intensity of Indian
Electricity Generation, weighted average emission factor is also calculated by including Re-
newable energy.
1. The prevailing baseline emissions based on the data for the FY 2021-22 are shown in
Table S-1. The calculations are based on generation, fuel consumption and fuel quality
data obtained from the power stations. Typical standard data were used only for a few
stations where information was not available from the station. Cross-border electricity
transfers were also considered for calculating the CO2 emission baseline.
Table S-1: Weighted average emission factor, simple operating margin (OM), build margin
(BM) and combined margin (CM) of the Indian Grid for FY 2021-22 (adjusted for
cross-border electricity transfers & excluding RES), in t CO2/MWh
Average OM BM CM
0.81 0.96 0.87 0.91
2. The prevailing baseline emissions based on the data and taking in to account the re-
newable generation also for the FY 2021-22 are shown in Table S-2.
Table S-2: Weighted average emission factor, simple operating margin (OM), of the Indian
Grid for FY 2021-22 (adjusted for cross-border electricity transfers & including
RES), in t CO2/MWh
Average OM BM CM
0.71 0.96 * *
Average is the average emission of all stations in the grid, weighted by net generation.
OM is the average emission from all stations excluding the low cost/must run sources.
BM is the average emission of the 20% (by net generation) most recent capacity addition in the grid.
CM is a weighted average of the OM and BM (here weighted 50: 50).
*As plant wise RE generation data is not available for all plants , calculation of BM and OM is not done un-
der this option .
2
1
Tool to calculate the emission factor for an electricity system (Version 7.0). See [Link]
3
This version of the database is designed to be consistent with version 7.0 of the Tool to
calculate the emission factor for an electricity system published by the CDM Executive
Board.
Installed Capacity
As a result of the impressive growth attained by the Indian Power Sector, the installed capacity
has grown from mere 1,713 MW in 1950 to 399,496.61 MW as on 31.03.2022. Sector-wise
details of installed capacity are shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Sector- wise installed capacity (MW) as on 31.03.2022
State 66831.50 1150.00 7087.36 236.01 75304.86 0.00 27126.80 2423.31 104854.98
Central 64050.00 3640.00 7237.91 0.00 74927.91 6780.00 15646.72 1632.30 99004.93
Private 73198.00 1830.00 10574.24 273.70 85875.95 0.00 3931.00 105829.76 195636.71
All In- 204079.50 6620.00 24899.51 509.71 236108.72 6780.00 46722.52 109885.38 399496.61
dia
Note: These capacities are not identical with those listed in the Excel database, because the database excludes
renewable, few small diesel and steam units.
It is evident from Table 1 that the installed capacity is predominantly coal based and therefore,
is a major source of carbon dioxide emissions in India. Hence, there exists scope for reducing
the CO2 emissions in the country by way of fuel substitution, increased use of renewable en-
ergy sources, and also by improving the thermal efficiency of power generation.
4
Indian Grids
Historically, the Indian power system was divided into five independent regional grids, namely
Northern, Eastern, Western, Southern, and North-Eastern. Each grid covered several states
(see Table 2). Since August 2006, however, all regional grids except the Southern Grid had
been integrated and were operating in synchronous mode, i.e. at same frequency. Conse-
quently, the Northern, Eastern, Western and North-Eastern grids were treated as a single grid
named as NEWNE grid from FY 2007-08 onwards for the purpose of this CO2 Baseline Data-
base. As of 31 December 2013, the Southern grid has also been synchronised with the
NEWNE grid, hence forming one unified Indian Grid.
Power generation and supply within the Indian Grid is managed by Regional Load Dispatch
Centres (RLDC). The National Power Committee (NPC) and Regional Power Committees
(RPCs) provide a common platform for discussion and solution to the national and regional
problems relating to the grid. Each state meets their demand with their own generation facilities
and also with allocation from power plants owned by the central sector such as NTPC and
NHPC etc. and IPP’s being operated by private sector. Specific quotas are allocated to each
state from the central sector power plants. Depending on the demand and generation, there
are cross-border electricity exports and imports (e.g., from Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and
Myanmar).
Table 2: Geographical scope of the Indian electricity grid
INDIAN GRID
*The union territories Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep islands are not con-
nected to the National grid. The power generation and distribution systems of these territories
is served by standalone systems
5
2
Tool to calculate the emission factor for an electricity system (Version 7.0). See [Link]
6
listed in the Grid Tool for calculating the operating margin.3 Furthermore, option A has been
selected as the required disaggregated data is available in India.
The simple operating margin is the weighted average emissions rate of all generation sources
except so-called low-cost or must-run sources (hydro, nuclear and other renewable stations)
and are excluded). The operating margin, therefore, can be calculated by dividing the grid’s
total CO2 emissions by the net generation of all thermal stations. In other words, it represents
the weighted average emissions rate of all thermal stations.
Values for operating margins given in this User Guide and the Database are always based on
the “ex post” option as set out in the Grid Tool.4
Build margin (BM):
The build margin reflects the average CO2 intensity of newly built power stations that will be
(partially) replaced by a CDM project. In accordance with the Grid Tool, the build margin is
calculated in this database as the average emissions intensity of the 20% most recent capacity
additions except renewable capacity in the grid based on net generation. Renewable capacity
is not considered due to non-availability of plant wise generation of Renewable energy projects
for all plants. The build margin generally covers units commissioned in the last five years.
Combined margin (CM):
The combined margin is a weighted average of the simple operating margin and the build mar-
gin. By default, both margins have equal weights (50%). However, CDM project developers
may choose to argue for different weights. In particular, for intermittent and non-dispatchable
generation types such as wind and solar photovoltaic, the Grid Tool allows to weigh the oper-
ating margin and build margin at 75% and 25%, respectively. However, the combined margins
shown in the database are calculated based on equal weights.
In line with the Grid Tool, if a station is registered as a CDM activity, it is excluded from the
build margin but not from the operating margin.5
3 Scope of Database
The database includes all grid-connected power stations having an installed capacity above
25 MW.6 The data covers power stations of both public utilities and independent power pro-
ducers (IPPs).
3
The two variants “Simple adjusted operating margin” and “Dispatch data analysis operating margin” cannot currently be ap-
plied in India due to lack of necessary data.
4
See Tool to calculate the emission factor for an electricity system (Version 7.0).
5
See Tool to calculate the emission factor for an electricity system (Version 7.0), pp. 16 and pp 25 point (f)
6
Previously, the database covered grid-connected power stations having an installed capacity above 3 MW in case of hydro
and above 10 MW for all other plant types. Monitoring of stations up to 25 MW was discontinued from FY 2011-12. For
archiving and consistency reasons, 71 of these small stations will remain in the database without new data entries.
7
The following power stations are currently not accounted for in the database:
Small decentralised generation sets;
Stations or units installed in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep;
Captive power stations: As on 31 March 2022, the aggregate installed capacity of captive
stations in industries having demand of 1 MW and above was 77,000 MW, inclusive of
4600 MW approx. of non-conventional renewable energy capacity (provisional figure). The
generation of these stations in FY 2021-22 was 200,000 GWh (provisional figure). The data
of captive plants could not be added in this database in absence of the data availability.
Figure 1 A shows the breakdown generation capacity including renewable generation capac-
ity. Capacity covered by database is 291,038 MW and renewable capacity is 109,885.38
7
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The capacity figure may differ from CEA reported figure of installed capacity.
8
MW, hence total capacity corresponds to 400.924 MW has been reflected in the figure 1A.
The Station Numbers start at 1 and proceed alphabetically for all stations. All units of a
station have the same station number. Numbers may change in future database versions
due to insertion of new stations.
Station Name:
Name of the power station. The station names have been arranged in alphabetical order.
Unit Number:
The units of a station are numbered serially starting with 1. Stations are attributed with unit
number 0 for the purpose of calculations.
Commissioning Date:
The commissioning date is provided for each unit. Commissioning dates are important for
the determination of the build margin.
Capacity:
9
Capacity data is based on declared rated capacities in MW for each unit as of 31st March
2022.
State:
Sector:
This denotes whether the station is operated by the central sector, the state authorities, or
the private sector.
System:
A list of the systems including abbreviations and full names is provided in Appendix A.
Type:
Indicates the type of the station, viz. thermal, nuclear, and hydro.
Fuel:
Fuel 1 and Fuel 2 indicates the main fuels used for power generation at each station. For
example, in coal-based stations, Coal is indicated as Fuel 1 and Oil as Fuel 2.
2
AbsCO2 (station) y FuelConi , y GCVi , y EFi Oxidi (1)
i 1
Where:
AbsCO2,y Absolute CO2 emission of the station in the given fiscal year ‘y’
FuelConi,y Amount of fuel of type i consumed in the fiscal year ‘y’
11
GCVi,y Gross calorific value of the fuel i in the fiscal year ‘y’
EFi CO2 emission factor of the fuel i based on GCV
Oxidi Oxidation factor of the fuel i
The emission and oxidation factors used in the CO2 Database are provided in Appendix B.
The emission factors for Indian coal and lignite were based on the values provided in India’s
Initial National Communication under the UNFCCC (Ministry of Environment & Forests, 2004).
The emission factor for coal is supported by the results of an analysis of approx. 120 coal
samples collected from different Indian coal fields. Since the values in the National Communi-
cation are based on the NCV (Net Calorific Value), they were converted to GCV basis using a
formula also furnished in the National Communication. For all other fuels as well as for imported
coal, default emission factors were derived from the IPCC 2006 Guidelines.8 In line with the
Grid Tool, the low-end values of the 95% confidence intervals indicated by IPCC were used.9
The IPCC default factors were converted to GCV basis using IEA default conversion factors.
The oxidation factor for Indian coal and lignite was derived from an analysis performed with
data on the unburnt carbon content in the ash from various Indian coal-fired power stations.
The value of 98% is consistent with the default value provided in the IPCC 1996 Guidelines. 10
For all other fuels as well as imported coal, default values provided in the more recent IPCC
2006 Guidelines were used.
Specific CO2 emissions of stations (SpecCO2 (station) y) were computed by dividing the abso-
lute emissions (AbsCO2 (station) y) estimated above by the station’s net generation
(NetGen(station)y).
AbsCO2 (station) y
SpecCO2 (station) y (2)
NetGen(station) y
Two distinct approaches were applied for determining the specific emissions of these units:
8
2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, Volume 2: Energy, Table 1.4
9
In accordance with the Tool to calculate the emission factor for an electricity system , Version 7.0
10
IPCC 1996 Revised Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, Volume 3 (Reference Manual), p.1.13
12
1. A unit was assumed to have the same specific emissions as the corresponding station in
the following three cases:
i. If all units of a station fall into the build margin;
ii. If all units of a station have the same installed capacity;
iii. If the default specific emissions for the respective unit is higher than the corresponding
station’s specific emissions, and the concerned unit is capacity-wise among the largest
of the station.
The large majority of units for which fuel consumption was not reported fall in one of the above-
mentioned three categories.
2. In the remaining cases, the specific emissions of the units were derived from conservative
standard heat rate values (see Appendix B).
To capture the role played by RES in decreasing the carbon emission intensity of the Indian
electricity generation the weighted average emission factor with RES has been computed
for this year and last eight years and is enclosed as Annexure- I.
4.6 Conservativeness
The need to ensure conservativeness of calculations in situations of uncertainty is a funda-
mental principle in the CDM. Assumptions are conservative if they tend to reduce the number
11
This corresponds to Options a)+b) listed in the Grid Tool, (Version 7.0), p. 10 & 11
13
of emission reductions being credited to a CDM project activity. The following approaches and
assumptions contribute to the conservativeness of the database:
The quality of station-level data was ensured through extensive plausibility testing and
interaction with the station operators.
In cases of data gaps at station level, standard data from CEA were used. For example,
standard auxiliary power consumption was assumed for few coal-fired stations. Compari-
son with monitored values shows that these standard values are rather conservative, i.e.,
they lead to a somewhat lower heat rate and hence lower emissions than observed in
many stations.
The fuel emission factors and oxidation factors used are generally consistent with IPCC
defaults and relevant EB guidance. For Indian coal, the emission factor provided in India’s
Initial National Communication was used (95.8 t CO2/TJ on NCV basis). The oxidation
factor of 0.98 used for Indian coal appears to be conservative in light of recent efficiency
improvements in coal-fired generation. All other fuel emission factors represent the lower
limits of the respective 95% confidence intervals indicated by IPCC, as required by the
CDM Executive Board.12
The scope of the database remains conservative because of the exclusion of captive
power stations, which are generally thermal stations. The overall effect of these re-
strictions in scope is that the weighted average emission factor will tend to be slightly
understated.
Methodology with examples:
For the ease of understanding, the methodology for computation of various emission factors
is explained below:
1. Weighted Average Emission factor:
It is computed by dividing the total Co2 emission by net electricity generation.
In earlier year as generation from Renewable energy sources was not substantial it
was not considered in denominator.
12
See Tool to calculate the emission factor for an electricity system (Version 7.0), p.35
14
5 Results
Worksheet “Results” in the database provides the net generation and CO2 emissions data and
the resulting emission factors for the Indian Grid in the fiscal years 2017-18 to 2021-22. The
emission factors are also reproduced in Appendix C. The values are rounded off at two deci-
mals. See database file for additional decimals.
Average OM BM CM
Excluding cross-border power transfers 0.815 0.968 0.869 0.918
Including cross-border power transfers 0.809 0.960 0.869 0.915
A comparison of both cases in Table 4 shows that cross border electricity transfers did not
have a significant influence on the emission factors in 2021-22.
Table 5 shows the emission factors for FY 2021-22 both excluding and including cross-
border power transfers and Inclusive of RES.
Table 5: Weighted average emission factor, simple operating margin (OM), build margin (BM)
and combined margin (CM) of the Indian Grid for FY 2021-22 (excluding and including
cross-country electricity transfers and inclusive of RES), in t CO2/MWh
Table 6: shows the weighted average specific emissions for fossil fuel-fired power stations in
the Indian Grid.
Table 6: Weighted average specific emissions for fossil fuel-fired stations in FY 2021-22, in t
CO2/MWh
Note: Stations for which assumptions had to be made are included in this analysis (see Sec-
tion 4 for details).
Figure 2: Breakdown of new added capacity covered by the database over the period
2000-01 to 2021-22.
Figure 3 shows the development of the weighted average emission factor over the period from
FY 2017-18 to FY 2021-22 (see Appendix C for values before import adjustment). The
weighted average emission factor has increased marginally in FY 2021-22. This was mainly
due to the increase in total generation, where coal-based generation is increased by 2% (ap-
prox.), gas & hydro based generation reduced marginally and share of Imported coal is reduced
from 9% to 4% in FY 2021-22 as compared to previous FY.
17
Figure 3: Development of the weighted average emission factor (adjusted for electricity trans-
fers) for the Indian Grid over the period 2017-18 to 2021-22
Figure 4 shows the development of the weighted average emission factor including the re-
newable generation for the Indian Grid over the period 2017-18 to 2021-22
1.00
0.90
0.80
0.70
tCo2/MWh
0.60
0.50
0.40
0.75 0.74 0.71 0.71
0.70
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.00
Figure 4: Development of the weighted average emission factor (excluding cross border elec-
tricity transfers & inclusive of renewable generation) for the Indian Grid for the
period 2017-18 to FY 2021-22
Figure 5 illustrates the development of the import-adjusted operating margins over the period
from FY 2017-18 to FY 2021-22 (see Appendix C for values before import adjustment). In 2021-
22 the import-adjusted operating margin increased marginally mainly due to increase in coal-
based generation and reduced share of Imported coal.
18
Figure 5: Development of the operating margin (adjusted for electricity transfers) for the Indian
Grid over the period 2017-18 to 2021-22.
Figure 6 shows the build margins for the five fiscal years 2017-18 to 2021-22. The distinction
between Indian and imported coal introduced from FY 2013-14 onwards led to a slight de-
crease in the build margin till 2017-18, due to the lower emission factor applied to imported
coal in accordance with the CDM rules.
The build margin which was showing a decreasing trend till 2017-18 has increased marginally
during 2018-19 due more share of domestic coal and less share of imported coal. During 2019-
20 and 2020-21 the build margin decreased marginally again due to the increase in the share
of imported coal. Again during 2021-22 the build margin increased marginally due to the de-
crease in the share of imported coal (see figure 7).
Figure 6: Development of the build margins over the period 2017-18 to 2021-22.
19
Figure 7: Breakdown of the build margins by fuel type (shares based on net generation)
Figure 8 shows the trends in the import-adjusted combined margins in the period 2017-18 to
2021-22. The combined margin has a decreasing trend during 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21.
It was mainly due to decrease in operating margin and build margin. The combined margin
increased marginally during 2021-22 due to increase in both the operating and build margins
Figure 8: Development of the combined margin (adjusted for electricity transfers) for the In-
dian Grid over the period 2017-18 to 2021-22
Generation form Renewable Energy sources has been considered for calculation of
weighted Average emission factor (Including RE).
21
6 User Examples
This section provides two illustrative examples of how the CO2 Database can be applied. The
examples are based on hypothetical renewable energy projects
Project A is a grid-connected 5 MW small hydropower station located in the State of Assam.
The station will be commissioned in 2023. Annual net generation is projected at approx. 17’500
MWh.
The project qualifies as a small-scale CDM activity since its capacity is below the 15 MW
threshold. Hence it will use the latest version of CDM methodology AMS-I.D for grid-con-
nected renewable electricity generation.
Methodology AMS-I.D gives two options for determining the baseline emission factor: Ei-
ther the weighted average emissions, or the combined margin of the grid. In this example,
it is assumed that the promoters choose the weighted average option. In addition, it is
assumed that the promoters choose to adjust the weighted average emission factor for
electricity imports, even though this is not mandatory under AMS-I.D.
In the PDD, the expected emission reductions achieved by the hydro station are projected
based on the expected annual generation, and the import-adjusted weighted average emis-
sion factor (excluding renewal energy generation) for the Indian Grid in the most recent
year for which data is available (2021-22). The corresponding value is 0.81 t CO2/MWh.
Hence the absolute emission reductions are projected at 0.81 * 17’500 = 14,175 t CO2/yr.
The emission reductions are equal to the baseline emissions, since the project does not
result in greenhouse gas emissions of its own.
In accordance with AMS-I. D, the promoters will determine the actual baseline emission
factor ex post. The actual emission reductions will then be calculated in each year of the
crediting period based on the observed net generation and the weighted average emission
factor for the respective year.13 The latter would be published annually by CEA.
Project B is a 100 MW grid-connected wind farm located in the State of Tamil Nadu. The
project will be commissioned in 2023. Average net supplies to the grid are projected at 312,500
MWh per year.
The project exceeds the 15 MW threshold and thus qualifies as a large-scale CDM activity.
Hence it is eligible to use the latest version of methodology ACM0002 for grid-connected
power generation from renewable energy sources.
Under ACM0002, the combined margin approach is mandatory.
In contrast to the first example, the promoters decide to fix the baseline emission factor ex
ante. That is, the baseline emission factor is determined based on the most recent data
available, and remains fixed for the duration of the crediting period. The actual emission
reductions will be calculated in each year based on the observed net generation and the
pre-defined baseline emission factor.
For this ex ante-option, the Grid Tool referred to in the methodology ACM0002 requires
that the operating margin be calculated as the generation-weighted average of the three
13
The emission factor of the previous year may be used instead. See Tool to calculate the emission factor for an electricity
system (Version 7.0), p.16
22
most recent years (here 2019-20 to 2021-22).14 The operating margin to be applied thus
works out to 0.9535 t CO2/MWh.
Since wind is an intermittent energy source, the promoter is allowed to assign a weight of
75% to the operating margin, and 25% to the build margin. The resulting combined margin
is 0.932 t CO2/MWh (75% x 0.9535 + 25% x 0.8686) for the FY 2021-22). This value is
used for projecting the emission reductions in the PDD as well as for calculating the actual
emission reductions.
14
See Tool to calculate the emission factor for an electricity system (Version 7.0), p.16
23
Table 7: Illustration on how to use the CO2 Database for calculating the emission re-
ductions of CDM projects
Project A Project B
Project Info
Data vintage for projection of 2021-22 (most recent available For OM: 2019-20, 2020-21,
emission reductions: at time of PDD validation) 2021-22 (most recent 3 years
available at time of PDD vali-
dation)
For BM: 2021-22
Data vintage for verification of Actual year of generation, i.e., Same as for projection
emission reductions: 2023-24, 2024-25 etc. (emis- (emission factor fixed ex ante)
sion factor fixed ex post)
Projected emission reductions: 14,175 t CO2 per year 291,250 t CO2 per year
7 Updating Procedure
The CO2 Database will be updated annually by CEA and made available on its website:
[Link]. Previous versions will be archived by CEA and the main changes relative to
previous database versions will be documented.
8 Further Information
For any further information, contact by email:
Chief Engineer (CE&ET)
Central Electricity Authority
Sewa Bhawan
R. K. Puram, New Delhi-110066
Email: ceet-cea@[Link]
25
Annexure –I
GMR Bajoli Holi GMR Bajoli Holi Hydro Power Pvt. Ltd.
JV NTPC & BSEB Joint Venture NTPC & Bihar State Electricity Board
Imported
Unit Coal Coal Lignite Gas Oil Diesel Naphtha Corex
EF based on NCV gCO2 /MJ 95.8 89.5 106.2 54.3 75.5 72.6 69.3 0.0
Delta GCV NCV % 3.6% 5.0% 3.6% 10% 5% 5% 5% n/a
EF based on GCV gCO2 /MJ 92.5 85.2 102.5 49.4 71.9 69.1 66.0 0.0
Oxidation Factor - 0.98 1.00 0.98 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 n/a
Fuel Emission Factor gCO2 /MJ 90.6 85.2 100.5 49.4 71.9 69.1 66.0 0.0
n/a = not applicable (i.e. no assumptions were needed)
Assumptions at Station Level (only where data was not provided by station)
Diesel- Diesel-
Unit Coal Lignite Gas-CC Gas-OC Oil Eng OC Naphtha Hydro Nuclear
Auxiliary Power Consumption % 8.0 10.0 3.0 1.0 3.5 3.5 1.0 3.5 0.5 10.5
kcal /kWh
Gross Heat Rate (gross) 2,500 2,713 2,013 3150 2,117 1,975 3,213 2,117 n/a n/a
Net Heat Rate kcal /kWh (net) 2,717 3,014 2,075 3,182 2,193 2,047 3,330 2,193 n/a n/a
Specific Oil Consumption ml /kWh (gross) 2.0 3.0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
GCV kcal /kg (or m3) 3,755 n/a 8,800 n/a 10,100 10,500 10,500 11,300 n/a n/a
Density t /1,000 lt n/a n/a n/a n/a 0.95 0.83 0.83 0.70 n/a n/a
Specific CO2 emissions tCO2 /MWh 1.04 1.28 0.43 0.66 0.66 0.59 0.96 0.61 n/a n/a
n/a = not applicable (i.e. no assumptions were needed)
Assumptions at Unit Level (by capacity; only for units in the BM, where data was not provided by station)
200-250 500 MW 500 MW 660 MW 660 MW
Coal Unit 67.5 MW 120 MW MW 300 MW Type 1 Type 2 600 MW Type 1 Type 2 800 MW
Gross Heat Rate kcal /kWh 2,750 2,500 2,500 2,350 2,425 2,380 2,380 2,178 2,126 2126
Auxiliary Power Consumption % 12.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 7.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 5.25
Net Heat Rate kcal /kWh 3,125 2,747 2,747 2,582 2,622 2,545 2,545 2,329 2,274 2,244
Specific Oil Consumption ml /kWh 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 0.5
Specific CO2 Emissions tCO2 /MWh 1.19 1.05 1.05 0.99 1.00 0.97 0.97 0.89 0.87 0.85
210/250 500
Lignite Unit 75 MW 125 MW MW MW
Gross Heat Rate kcal /kWh 2,750 2,560 2,713 2713
Auxiliary Power Consumption % 12.0 12.0 10.0 8.5
Net Heat Rate kcal /kWh 3,125 2,909 3,014 2965
Specific Oil Consumption ml /kWh 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0
Specific CO2 Emissions tCO2 /MWh 1.32 1.23 1.28 1.25
0-49.9 50-99.9
Gas Unit MW MW >100 MW
Gross Heat Rate kcal /kWh 1,950 1,910 1,970
Auxiliary Power Consumption % 3.0 3.0 3.0
Net Heat Rate kcal /kWh 2,010 1,969 2,031
Specific CO2 Emissions tCO2 /MWh 0.42 0.41 0.42
Diesel Unit 0.1-1 MW 1-3 MW 3-10 MW >10 MW
Gross Heat Rate kcal /kWh 2,350 2,250 2,100 1,975
Auxiliary Power Consumption % 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5
Net Heat Rate kcal /kWh 2,435 2,332 2,176 2,047
Specific CO2 Emissions tCO2 /MWh 0.70 0.67 0.63 0.59
Naphtha Unit All sizes
Increment to Gas Heat Rate % 2%
Gross Heat Rate kcal /kWh 2,117
Auxiliary Power Consumption % 3.5
Net Heat Rate kcal /kWh 2,193
Specific CO2 Emissions tCO2 /MWh 0.61
Oil
Specific Emission gCO2 /ml 2.89
31
Note: Values are rounded off at two decimals here. See Database (Excel File, Worksheet "Re-
sults") for additional decimals.
Table A: Values for FY 2017-18 to 2021-22, excluding cross-border electricity transfers.
Emission Factors (tCO2/MWh) (excl. Imports) 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22
Weighted Average Emission Rate 0.82 0.82 0.80 0.79 0.81
Weighted Average Emission Rate Incl RES 0.75 0.74 0.71 0.70 0.72
Simple Operating Margin (1) 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.95 097
Build Margin 0.87 0.88 0.87 0.87 0.87
Combined Margin (1) 0.91 0.92 0.92 0.91 0.92
(1) Operating margin is based on the data for the same year. This corresponds to the ex post option
given in "Tool to Calculate the Emission Factor for an Electricity System", Ver. 7.0 (p.16)
Including RES for previous year is post facto correction
Emission Factors (tCO2/MWh) (incl. Imports) 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22
Weighted Average Emission Rate (2) 0.82 0.82 0.79 0.79 0.81
Weighted Average Emission Rate Incl RES (2) 0.75 0.74 0.71 0.70 0.71
Simple Operating Margin (1) (2) 0.95 0.96 0.96 0.94 0.96
Build Margin (not adjusted for imports) 0.87 0.88 0.87 0.87 0.87
Combined Margin (1) (2) 0.91 0.92 0.91 0.90 0.91
(1) Operating margin is based on the data for the same year. This corresponds to the ex post option
given in "Tool to Calculate the Emission Factor for an Electricity System", Ver. 7.0 (p.16)
(2) For Adjustments of imports from other countries, an emission factor of zero is used.
See "Tool to Calculate the Emission Factor for an Electricity System", Ver. 7.0 (p.10 & 11), options a+b
ACM0002 is a consolidated CDM methodology for grid-connected power generation from re-
newable energy sources. It covers grid-connected renewable power generation project activi-
ties that involve retrofitting, rehabilitation (or refurbishment), replacement or capacity addition
of an existing power plant or construction and operation of a Greenfield power plant... Exam-
ples of eligible project types include hydro power plants with or without reservoir; wind energy;
geothermal energy; solar energy; and wave and tidal energy.
The methodology requires the calculation of the baseline emission factor following the com-
bined margin (CM) approach. The combined margin consists of a weighted average of:
Operating margin (OM);
Build margin (BM).
The relative weights used to determine the combined margin are by default the same, i.e. 50%.
Alternative weights can be used for intermittent power sources.
There are four options to calculate the operating margin, depending on local conditions:
Simple operating margin. This is the preferred approach for India.
The other three approaches are: (i) simple adjusted operating margin; (ii) dispatch data
analysis operating margin; and (iii) average operating margin.
The build margin is the generation-weighted average emission factor of the most recent power
plants, consisting of the larger of (i) the five power plants that have been built most recently; or
(ii) the capacity additions that represent 20% of the system generation that have been built
most recently. In India, the latter approach generally yields the larger sample and hence must
be followed. CDM projects must be excluded from the build margin, as long as the build margin
does not contain generation units older than 10 years.
The operating margin must be adjusted for electricity transfers (imports) from connected elec-
tricity systems (other states/regions, other countries) to the project electricity system. Gener-
ally, no such adjustments are required for the build margin.
The actual emission reductions achieved by a CDM project are calculated based on the mon-
itored electricity production in each year, and the combined margin (baseline emission factor).
The combined margin is initially calculated from the most recent data available at the time of
PDD submission. It can then either remain fixed for the duration of the project’s crediting period
(ex-ante approach), or be updated annually (ex-post approach). The two approaches have
different requirements in terms of data vintage.
33
Appendix E – Abbreviations
Abbreviation Full Name
ACM0002 Approved Consolidated Methodology by CDM Executive Board for grid connected
large scale renewable project
ACM0013 Approved Consolidated Methodology by CDM Executive Board for new grid con-
nected fossil fuel fired power plants using a less GHG intensive technology.
AMS-I.D Approved Methodology for small scale grid connected renewable projects
BM Build margin
CM Combined margin
FY Fiscal year
MW Megawatt
OM Operating margin
SR Southern Grid
In CDM projects, projected emission reductions are calculated based on expected annual generation and baseline emission factors, which may be adjusted for imports. Actual calculations are done ex post, using observed net generation and updated emission factors for each crediting year. For project developers, this means navigating potential discrepancies between projected and actual reductions, necessitating careful monitoring and documentation to ensure claims match the actual emissions reduced, thus impacting the financial and environmental feasibility of the project .
The oxidation factor is significant in calculating CO2 emissions as it accounts for the portion of fuel carbon oxidized during combustion, affecting the accuracy of emissions estimates. For Indian coal and lignite, the oxidation factor was derived from analyzing unburnt carbon content in the ash from various coal-fired power stations, resulting in a value of 98%. This is consistent with the default value in the IPCC guidelines, ensuring that CO2 emissions are not underestimated, particularly important given the high emission potential of coal .
The combined margin is a weighted average of the operating margin and the build margin. By default, both margins have equal weights of 50%. However, for CDM projects involving intermittent and non-dispatchable generation types such as wind and solar photovoltaic, the Grid Tool allows the weights to be adjusted to 75% for the operating margin and 25% for the build margin. This adjustment is crucial for accurately reflecting the emissions avoided by such projects due to their variable nature, impacting the calculation of project-specific emission reductions .
A large-scale CDM project like a wind farm exceeding 15 MW should use methodology ACM0002, which mandates the use of the combined margin approach. In contrast, a small-scale project under 15 MW using AMS-I.D could choose between using the weighted average emissions or the combined margin as a baseline emission factor. For large-scale projects, the combined margin is mandatory to accommodate the higher potential impact on grid emissions, whereas small-scale projects are given flexibility due to their limited scale .
Changes in emission factors and data vintage in the updated CO2 Database Version 18.0 can significantly impact CDM projects by altering baseline emissions calculations, potentially changing eligibility and projected emission reductions. New stations and more recent data can reflect less emissions-intensive operations, impacting the financial viability of CDM projects if they receive fewer credits. As a result, developers must consider these updates when planning and verifying projects to ensure compliance and financial sustainability .
The build margin reflects the average CO2 intensity of the most recent capacity additions to the power grid, focusing on stations that are likely to be replaced by a CDM project. It is calculated as the average emissions intensity of the 20% most recent capacity additions (except renewable sources) based on net generation. The build margin typically covers units commissioned in the last five years .
The key components in calculating an electricity system's operating margin include the weighted average emissions rate of all generation sources, excluding low-cost or must-run sources such as hydro, nuclear, and other renewables. It is calculated by dividing the grid’s total CO2 emissions by the net generation of all thermal stations. This approach represents the weighted average emissions rate of all thermal stations, and values are based on the 'ex post' option set out in the Grid Tool .
The combined margin for the Indian grid showed a decreasing trend during 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21, primarily due to reductions in both the operating and build margins. However, in 2021-22, the combined margin increased marginally due to rises in both components. These trends indicate a shift towards less carbon-intensive power generation, likely influenced by newer, more efficient plants. For stakeholders, understanding these trends is crucial for forecasting the economic and environmental implications of future power infrastructure investments and CDM project planning .
Assumptions regarding auxiliary power consumption affect the calculation of net generation by providing a standard value used to estimate net generation when specific data is unavailable. For some stations, where data on net generation was not available, standard values for auxiliary power consumption were assumed, either based on default values or observed data from the station. This standard power consumption helps in deriving net generation from gross generation, thereby impacting the accuracy of emission calculations for thermal stations .
For hydro power stations, when specific net generation data is unavailable, the gross generation is adjusted using a standard auxiliary power consumption of 0.5% to estimate net generation. In the case of thermal power stations, standard values aligned with observed auxiliary consumption levels are utilized where individual station-specific data is lacking. These standard assumptions allow for consistent data to be derived when direct measurements are not possible, which is essential for accurately calculating CO2 emissions .