Wet scavenging of SO₂ emissions around India's largest lignite based power plant

Abstract. The Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) is among the largest lignite based power plants in South East Asia. The four elevated stacks from this power plant emanate a substantial amount of sulphur dioxide into a tropical boundary layer. Sulphur dioxide being a soluble pollutant gas is absorbed by falling raindrops. This is a first study that quantifies the scavenging action of the North Eastern monsoonal rains from a lignite based power plant. We find that although the North Eastern monsoonal rains have a preponderance of very large droplets, the contribution of the small droplets cannot be neglected. We expect that the estimated scavenging coefficients can be used by large eddy and climate models.