Necessary CO2 emissions improvement based on rural residential coal/stove-specific coal combustion and prefectural-differentiation synergistic effect of pollutants and carbon emission reduction

Abstract

Rural residential coal combustion (RRCC) is an important CO2 emission source in rural areas and these emissions vary greatly by coal and stove types. The lack of CO2 emission estimations for different coal-stove combinations restricts refinement and region-differentiated synergistic reduction of pollution and CO2 emissions from RRCC. This study established the coal and stove specific CO2 emissions inventory of RRCC based on investigated coal combustion of various coal and stove types, taking the region of Hebei in China as an example. The synergistic reduction effect of CO2 and pollutants was evaluated using 4 emission reduction scenarios. CO2 emission was 67.4% higher than estimates of RRCC based on the Statistical Yearbook and IPCC emission factors. The combination of bituminous coal and an advanced coal stove was the greatest contributor (62.1%) to CO2 emissions. Bituminous coal burnt in home Arcola has the highest per capita hourly and per unit calorific value CO2 emission, 2.3 and 2.4 times higher than the combination of anthracite briquette coal and pit coal stove and the combination of bituminous coal and an advanced coal stove, respectively. Except for NOx and CO, the coal-stove combination with the lowest per capita hourly and per unit calorific value emissions is anthracite briquette coal and an advanced coal stove. Scenario analysis shows that updated coal stoves feature the highest pollutant emission reduction, but greater CO2 and NOX emissions. For individual cities, synergistic pollution and carbon reduction is seen in Tangshan and Qinhuangdao, and organic carbon, CO, and SO2 have better synergistic positive reduction with CO2, while NOX has shown a negative effect with CO2 in other cities with the best coal and stove update scenario. Compared with the coal and stove update scenario, emission reduction effects with clean fuel substitution varies across cities. This study is helpful to understand the possible non-synergy of pollutant and CO2 reduction in the process of RRCC management. Attention should be given to issues related to the synergistic control plan of pollution and CO2 reduction for RRCC with local adaptation.