Synergies of Cutting Air Pollutants and CO2 Emissions by the End-of-Pipe Treatment Facilities in a Typical Chinese Integrated Steel Plant

Abstract

Reducing industrial emissions has become increasingly important, given China’s ongoing industrialization. In this study, the reduction in CO2 emissions and air pollutants due to end-of-pipe treatment in a typical integrated steel plant in China was assessed. The emissions were subdivided into sector levels, including main production and auxiliary departments. The synergies of reducing air pollutants and CO2 emissions using end-of-pipe treatment technologies were quantified, including direct and indirect effects. The results show that (1) using the carbon balance method is more suitable for the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the steel plants in China at the enterprise and sector levels. The carbon-related parameters adopted in the carbon balance method strongly impact the accuracy of the emission calculation. (2) Compared with the direct synergistic CO2 emissions caused by chemical reactions, the indirect emissions due to the power consumption of the end-of-pipe facilities is more significant. (3) To achieve the control of local air pollutants and CO2 emissions, the negative effects of CO2 emissions caused by the end-of-pipe treatment technologies should be considered.