Світові тенденції розвитку вугільної теплової генерації та їх вплив на енергетику України

Abstract

The state of coal-fired thermal energy in Ukraine, many countries of the European Union, and the world are analyzed. Despite the fact that coal-fired thermal generation continues to play a significant role, there has been revealed a marked reduction in the operation of coal-fired thermal power plants, especially in the United States, the EU, China, and Japan. The reasons for the reduction of coal-fired generation are considered, which include the requirements of environmental policy to decrease pollutant emissions, high fines for CO2 emissions, and increase in electricity production from renewable sources. The world prospects of coal-fired thermal generation and alternative ways to replace coal-fired thermal power plants are considered, especially in connection with the rapid development of renewable energy and modern energy storage systems, whose costs have been recently decreased significantly, as well as the transition from coal to gas. The possible influence of world trends of the reduction of coal-fired generation on the state of thermal energy of Ukraine are analyzed.