BIRTH OF THE INSTITUTE
According to the statistics of Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Government of India, the installed capacity of coal-fired thermal power generation is 187, 253 MW as on 30th September, 2016, which is 61 percent of the total power generation capacity of 306,358 MW in India. Further, according to the plans laid down by the Government of India, the installed capacity of coal-based thermal power is likely to increase by about 70,000 MW by 2022.
Therefore, it is no wonder that there is generation of about 200 million tons of coal ash per annum at present(2015-16). As a process by-product, its quantity will continue to increase as the generating capacity of coal and lignite based power will increase. The environment and waste recycling problems that are unavoidable from such a huge generation of coal ash now and in future were foreseen by the experts in the field of power generation in the state of West Bengal in the early nineteen nineties, when they conceived of a professional platform that could be devoted to promoting eco-friendly, gainful use and management of coal ash. Thereafter, in September 1994, the Coal Ash Institute of India was finally born.
