Analysis of Reduction Potential of Primary Air Pollutant Emissions from Coking Industry in China

Yan Wang,Ke Cheng,Peng Yi,Zhi-Gang Xue,He-Zhong Tian

doi:10.4209/aaqr.2017.04.0139

Abstract

Air pollutant emissions from the coking industry in China, the world’s largest coke producer, are a major societal concern. This study employed a bottom-up emission-factor methodology to estimate the country’s coking-industry air-pollutant emissions. Total suspended particulate matter (TSP), particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 2.5 µm (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), carbon monoxide (CO), and methane (CH4) were considered. The emissions in 2015 were estimated to be 368.36, 23.28, 402.54, 174.43, 1325.42, 28.24, 2036.43, and 71.68 kt for TSP, PM2.5, SO2, NOx, VOCs, PAHs, CO, and CH4, respectively, with an annual average growth rate of 1.1% during the 12th five-year-plan (2011–2015). A comparative analysis was performed on emission contributions from air pollutants produced by various types of coke ovens and using various coking procedures. The objectives of the 13th five-year-plan (2016–2020) were used to predict China’s production of coke and methods of control in 2020 and to analyze the potential reduction in typical air pollutants. The results show that emissions of TSP, SO2, and NOx will be reduced by 82.9%, 94.4%, and 6.9%, respectively. Moreover, this study proposes a series of feasible control measures for air-pollutant emissions from the coking industry in China.

Highlights

Coke is a crucial raw material and a fuel used in blast furnace ironmaking
The results show that emissions of Total suspended particulate matter (TSP), SO2, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) will be reduced by 82.9%, 94.4%, and 6.9%, respectively
The 2015 emissions of typical air pollutants were estimated to be 368.36 kt for TSP, 23.28 kt for PM2.5, 402.54 kt for SO2, 174.43 kt for NOx, 1325.42 kt for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 28.24 kt for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 2036.43 kt for carbon monoxide (CO), and 71.68 kt for CH4, respectively, and the average annual growth rate was 1.1% during the 12th five-year-plan

Summary

Introduction

Coke is a crucial raw material and a fuel used in blast furnace ironmaking. The rapid development of China’s steel industry has increased the status of the country’s coking industry and emphasized its role in China’s economic development (Hu et al, 2010; CAE, 2011). The coking industry with coal as the primary raw material is characterized by a relatively low energy utilization rate, high energy consumption per unit, complex process flows, abundant. The coking industry is considered a highly polluting industry. The exhaust gas pollutants generated during coking include total suspended particulate matter (TSP), particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters less than or equal to 2.5 μm (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The coking industry is a substantial contributor to greenhouse gas emissions (Zhu et al, 2001; He et al, 2006; Liu et al, 2009; Mu, 2013; Ge et al, 2016; Wu et al, 2017). The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) classifies coke oven emissions as Group A carcinogens and links them to lung cancer (US EPA, 1999)

Methods

Results

Conclusion