Analysis of emission evolution and synergistic reduction effect of air pollutants and CO2 from Chinese coal-fired power plants

Abstract

The coal-fired power industry is the largest coal-consuming sector in China, and it serves as a significant source of air pollutants and carbon emissions. In this study, we investigated the evolution of air pollutants and CO2 emissions originating from coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) from 2013 to 2020 based on a unit-based bottom-up inventory, and then we quantitatively assessed their combined reduction effects from 2013 to 2060. Our findings indicated that air pollutant emissions experienced a rapid decrease from 2013 to 2020, with nearly 46.0%–64.2% of the reduction occurring within the years 2013–2017. However, CO2 emissions displayed a slight increase during the same period. The top five provinces with the most robust synergistic reduction effects for both air pollutants and CO2 were Jiangsu, Hebei, Henan, Shanxi, and Shandong. The primary measures to the reduction in CO2 emissions were energy structure adjustment and energy conservation and consumption reduction. By 2060, emissions of PM2.5, SO2, NOx, Hg, and CO2 had decreased by 57.9–92.1%, 26.0–80.6%, 18.1–69.4%, 26.6–86.3%, and 35.8–76.1% compared to the levels in 2020, respectively. As the emission reduction process advanced, the reduction effect on CO2 became more pronounced within the synergistic process. We believe that our highly detailed emission inventory comprehensively captures the historical evolution of PM2.5, SO2, NOx, Hg, and CO2 emissions from CFPPs. Furthermore, the scenario analysis results we have obtained will be instrumental in supporting policy development aimed at achieving the synergistic reduction of air pollutants and carbon emissions.