CHENNAI: After a cloud of gas emerged from Coromandel International Limited’s (CIL) plant at Ennore on Wednesday morning, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) officials inspected the plant and confirmed that only steam had leaked from the economiser unit.
Employees at Ashok Leyland’s adjacent foundry division noticed mist-like formations from CIL’s facility around 9 am, causing eye and throat irritation, some employees told TNIE. However, no one required hospitalisation or medical treatment.
“I was working at the plant when we suddenly experienced eye irritation, a foul smell, and mild breathing difficulty. Someone pressed the emergency button, and the management swiftly moved us to a room,” an Ashok Leyland employee said. Normalcy resumed within 30 minutes, employees added.
A TNPCB official stated that at 8.45 am, a steam leak was detected in the first economiser of sulphuric acid plant 2 at CIL. The economiser removes excess heat from sulphur dioxide, produced during the sulphur melting process, by passing water through a coil. The cooled sulphur dioxide is then converted into sulphur trioxide with a catalyst. The leak is suspected to have been caused by a puncture in the economiser’s steam coil.
As a precaution, the boiler feed water system connected to the economiser was isolated, and CIL will rectify the puncture, the official said.
While the leaked steam may contain SO2 residuals, emission levels remained within permissible limits, the official added, noting that the mist seen was steam.
Residents near the facility were unaware of the leak until informed by foundry unit employees.
Meanwhile, CIL released a statement refuting rumours of an ammonia leak and urging the public not to panic. In December 2023, around 68 tonnes of ammonia had leaked in 15 minutes from the offshore pipeline of CIL’s Ennore fertiliser plant.
“We clarify that the rumours of an ammonia leak are untrue. The plant does not currently operate ammonia facilities, so such a leak is impossible,” CIL said, adding that it follows strict safety protocols and regulatory guidelines.