Question 63 from UPSC CSE 2021 - Environment

Question

With reference to furnace oil, consider the following statements:
1. It is a product of oil refineries.
2. Some industries use it to generate power.
3. Its use causes sulphur emissions into the environment.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: D. 1, 2, and 3

Strategy: Assess each statement's factual accuracy using basic knowledge of furnace oil's production, industrial use, and environmental properties.

Key Info: Furnace oil, also known as fuel oil or heavy oil, is a residue product obtained from the distillation of crude oil in refineries after lighter fractions like petrol, diesel, and kerosene have been extracted. It is characterized by high viscosity and a relatively high sulphur content compared to lighter petroleum products.

**Uses**
- Furnace oil is commonly used as a fuel in boilers, furnaces, and industrial heating applications due to its cost-effectiveness and high calorific value.
- It is used in power generation in certain industries, particularly where captive power plants operate with fluid-fired boilers or diesel generator sets adapted for furnace oil. Large public or private utilities may use it as backup or during peak demand.
- Examples include cement, textile, fertilizer, and chemical industries operating their own generation units.

**Environmental Impact**
- Combustion of furnace oil releases a range of pollutants due to incomplete combustion and high impurity content. Of particular concern are sulphur oxides (SOx), primarily sulphur dioxide (SO2), resulting from the oxidation of the naturally occurring sulphur present in fuel oil.
- These emissions contribute to environmental issues such as acid rain and respiratory problems in humans. The global move towards cleaner fuels has led to regulatory pressure to reduce or control sulphur emissions from furnace oil.

**Regulations and Control**
- Many countries, including India, have set limits on the permissible sulphur content in furnace oil (e.g., switch to Low Sulphur Furnace Oil, LSFO) to manage air pollution.
- Usage and emission standards are regulated by agencies such as the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

**Summary**
Furnace oil is a by-product of oil refineries, used in industry for power and heat, and is a well-known source of sulphur emissions upon combustion.

Answer

Option A: 1 and 2 only

Answer

Option B: 2 and 3 only

Answer

Option C: 1 and 3 only

With reference to furnace oil, consider the following statements: It is a product of oil refineries. Some industries use it to generate power. Its use causes sulphur emissions into the environment. Which of the statements given above are correct?

With reference to furnace oil, consider the following statements:

It is a product of oil refineries.

Some industries use it to generate power.

Its use causes sulphur emissions into the environment.
Which of the statements given above are correct?