Emission Characteristics and Control Prospects of Primary PM2.5 from Fossil Fuel Power Plants in China

Abstract

In this study, a unit-based approach was used to establish an integrated emission inventory of primary PM 2.5 from fossil fuel (coal, oil, and natural gas) power plants in China. The inventory was of high spatial and temporal resolution, and composed of detailed chemical speciation. In 2014, the total emissions were estimated to be approximately 669.53 kt. The emissions of primary PM 2.5 from coal-fired power plants (CFPs) were 668.56 kt, making CFPs the largest contributor. The emissions of primary PM 2.5 from oil-fired power plants (OFPs) and natural gas-fired power plants (GFPs) were approximately 17.41 t and 945.60 t, respectively. Spatial distribution features demonstrated that the emissions in the eastern and central provinces of China were much higher than those in the west, except for provinces involved in the "west-to-east power transmission" project. For CFPs, crustal elements and water-soluble inorganic ions were the primary species of PM 2.5 . By contrast, for OFPs and GFPs, carbonaceous components were the predominant species of PM 2.5 . Moreover, this study conducted a scenario analysis of changes in PM 2.5 emissions resulting from technical advancement, penetration, and substitution of CFPs by GFPs for the target years.

Migration and Emission Characteristics of Ammonia/Ammonium through Flue Gas Cleaning Devices in Coal-Fired Power Plants of China

“…Large amounts of NO x , SO 2 , and PM are emitted to the atmosphere during coal combustion. − By 2018, about 2100 Mt of coal was burned by CFPPs, accounting for about 54% of the total coal consumption in China . To combat the serious air pollution in China, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) requested all CFPPs of China to meet the ultralow-emission (ULE) standards for three standard air pollutants by 2020, such as NO x [<50 mg/(N m 3 )], SO 2 [<35 mg/(N m 3 )], and PM [total particulate matter, <10 mg/(N m 3 )] (N m 3 means the volume of flue gas under Chinese standard conditions of 101.325 kPa and 273 K) .…”

Effects of Wet Flue Gas Desulfurization and Wet Electrostatic Precipitators on Emission Characteristics of Particulate Matter and Its Ionic Compositions from Four 300 MW Level Ultralow Coal-Fired Power Plants

“…During the past 2 decades, rapid growth of industrialization and urbanization has led to a huge volume of fossil fuel combustion in developing countries. , Frequent haze events surrounding the Eastern and Central areas of China have attracted considerable concerns from the public and Chinese government due to adverse impacts on air quality, human health, and climate change. − Previous studies indicate that coal-fired flue gas represents one major source of primary air pollutants (sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen oxides (NO x ), and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 , aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm), etc.) and thus contributes to haze and ground-level O 3 formation. − In China, coal is mainly used to generate electricity; these coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) emit large amounts of PM 2.5 , SO 2 , and NO x to the environment. ,− Hence, CFPPs are a key regulatory source category of air pollution control in China. On Dec. 2, 2015, the Chinese government issued the “Reformation and Upgrading Action Plan for Coal Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction (2014–2020)” to meet the ultralow-emission (ULE) standards and energy conservation by 2020 .…”

Synergistic Emission Reduction of Particulate Pollutants in Coal-fired Power Plants Using Ultra-low Emission Technology

“…Some low-concentration pollutants, such as SO 3 , PM 2.5 , ammonia (NH 3 ), nitrates, volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals are generally neglected. However, these low-concentration pollutants also affect the environmental quality (Wang et al, 2016;Li et al, 2019b). Some pollutants are initially in the gaseous state in flue gas.…”