Estimation of Coal Consumption and the Emission of Related Contaminants in the Plain Area Around Beijing During 2015-2017

Abstract

Spatial distribution of bungalow areas in the plain area of Beijing was interpreted using high resolution remote sensing images from 2015-2017, and data for the nearby surrounding areas was added in 2017. The bungalow development areas were then refined by a combination of field sampling and imagery interpretation. A statistical model was developed to estimate the coal consumption in bungalow areas based on statistical records of the developed areas. Emissions associated with coal burning emissions, namely, particulate matter (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen oxide (NOx), were estimated from emission factors collected from the relevant research. The results showed that residential coal burning decreased drastically by 75% during the period 2015-2017 in Beijing. The effect of coal modification (gas) measures is remarkable. Beijing's six downtown districts, and the urban and rural areas of the southern plain, have eliminated coal use at this stage. The districts in which coal burning is centered are located in the northern plains of Beijing. Coal consumption is greater than 300000 t in the Changping, Shunyi district, and greater than 150000 t in the Pinggu, Yanqing District. The spatial distribution of coal consumption in 2015 was focused in the city center, then became a circular and later a semi-circular distribution. Coal burning was centered in the districts of Changping, Shunyi, Tongzhou, and Daxing, which are all located on the ring perimeter. The emissions of SO2 and NOx in the plain areas of Beijing were obviously different. The highest emissions of SO2 and NOx were observed in the Changping district, and reached 1113.3 t and 279.2 t, respectively. The Coal Clean Energy Policy in Baoding, Langfang in 2017 has achieved initial success. However, the coal consumption is very large; the quality of the coal was poor and coal was used extensively. The coal burning intensity showed an increasing trend from north to south in Baoding and Langfang. The coal consumption in Baoding and Langfang totaled 1043×104 t and 407×104 t respectively. The villages in the suburbs of Baoding and Langfang used less coal, with a coal consumption of less than 5×104 t in Beishi, Nanshi, and Xinshi villages. The spatial distribution of coal consumption for the Langfang plain was relatively even and uniform. The highest coal consumption was found in Wen'an, with a value of 69×104 t, and the lowest was observed in Dachang.