Remarkable Spatial Disparity of Life Cycle Inventory for Coal Production in China

Abstract

Coal is the primary energy source in China, and its life cycle inventory (LCI) is widely used as background data for life cycle assessment studies. Previous research indicates that the inventory of coal production varies regionally. However, the development of complete regionalized LCIs for coal production is quite limited. Here, we establish the first provincial-level LCIs of local coal production and market for coal in China, based on a database of 6,122 coal mines and developed models. In the inventory results of local coal production, the coefficients of variation (CVs) of nine indicators exceed 0.5, especially SO 2 and particulate matter emission factors (CVs > 1). Compared with that, the interprovincial coal trade homogenizes the provincial production inventory of market for coal relatively, despite four indicators with CVs exceeding 0.5. Therefore, the regionalized inventory with remarkable spatial differentiation can provide more accurate fundamental data for future research such as electricity production. Furthermore, CH 4 emissions from coal production account for 24% of China's total methane emissions, highlighting its significance in mitigating global warming. Moreover, through the increasing coal trade, the significant and implicit plunder of water resources from the three coal net-exporting provinces, located in water-scarce areas, should be noted.

Tracing fossil-based plastics, chemicals and fertilizers production in China

“…It also requires an understanding of their intricate interrelations, diverging from traditional Material Flow Analysis (MFA) due to the sophisticated nature of the chemical metabolism. Insights from this work, along with previous efforts 1 , 4 , 14 , 57 , 58 could provide references, yet obtaining robust production and process data remains challenging. It often entails corroborating information from diverse sources, including statistical reports, literature, and industry studies, with regional technological diversity adding complexity to data collection, especially for smaller-scale downstream productions.…”

Provincial Coal Flow Efficiency of China Quantified by Three-Stage Data-Envelopment Analysis

“…For the sink-area, the level of regional development (GDP), industrial structure (Indus), energy consumption structure (Energ), degree of openness (Open), and environmental regulation (Envir) are selected as environmental variables for sink-area. (1) The increase in the level of regional development has brought about an increase in science and technology, but has resulted in a rise in energy consumption, which affects the CFE of the sink-area.…”

“…Figure 1 shows that China has coal reserves of 2078.85 billion tons, representing 13.3% of global reserves. Despite a decline from 68.5% in 2012 to 56.2% in 2022, coal remains China's dominant energy source and is expected to maintain this position [1]. Recognizing the strategic significance of coal for national energy security, the spatial and temporal incongruities between its resource distribution and consumption demand give rise to regional coal resource allocation, leading to the development of coal flow fields and the establishment of regional energy interconnections.…”

CM-YOLOv8: Lightweight YOLO for Coal Mine Fully Mechanized Mining Face

“…Today, with the continuous growth of global energy demand, coal, as a crucial energy resource that has served industrial production for centuries, still plays a vital role in the modern energy system [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. It is currently widely used in electricity generation and industrial manufacturing, providing reliable energy support for societal development [ 4 , 5 , 6 ].…”