Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Air pollutant control and strategy in coal-fired power industry for promotion of China’s emission reduction

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Frontiers in Energy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Coal-fired power industry has always been the major power source in China. As coal-fired power industry consumes around a half of China’s coal production, it is always thought to be a big air pollutant emission source. As more and more strict legislations in coal-fired power industry have been issued by the government, the emission performance in coal-fired power industry has been drastically reduced recently. Based on a brief review of the development of emission control in China’s coal-fired power industry, the affecting mechanism among the development of installed capacities of emission control device, pollutant emission, and emission performances in coal-fired power industry is studied. According to a systematic study on the development of emissions of classified categories, the role of coal-fired power industry as a pollutant source is reevaluated. It is found that, coal-fired power industry has contributed the most to China’s emission reduction, and the barycenter of air pollutant emission has been transformed to other high energy consumption industries, like heat, iron/steel, and cement. Then some development strategies are suggested, such as maintaining the current emission standard in coal-fired power industry; expending the coal-fired power emission standards to categories of heat generation and supply, nonmetallic mineral production and ferrous metals smelting and processing; and controlling other heavy metal by consulting the method of Hg control.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. National Bureau of Statistics of China. China Statistical Yearbook. Beijing: China Statistical Press, 2016 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Han S, Chen H, Long R, Cui X. Peak coal in China: a literature review. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2018, 129: 293–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Zhang D, Zhuang Y, Zhu R, et al. Ultra-low air pollutant control technologies for coal-fired flue gas and its economic analysis. Electric Power Construction, 2015, 5: 125–130 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  4. National Bureau of Statistics of China. China Energy Statistics Yearbook 2015. Beijing: China Statistics Press, 2016 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Kanada M, Dong L, Fujita T, Fujii M, Inoue T, Hirano Y, Togawa T, Geng Y. Regional disparity and cost-effective SO2 pollution control in China: a case study in 5 mega-cities. Energy Policy, 2013, 61: 1322–1331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. China Electricity Council. Annual Development Report of China Power Industry. Beijing: China Market Press, 2015 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Wang S, Liu J. Investigation of near-zero air pollutant emission characteristics from coal-fired power plants. Proceedings of the CSEE, 2016, 36(22): 6140–6147 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Shi W, Yang M, Zhang X, et al. Ultra-low emission technical route of coal-fired power plants and the cooperative removal. Proceedings of the CSEE, 2016, 36: 4308–4318 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  9. State Planning Commission of the People’s Republic of China, Basic Construction Commission of the People’s Republic of China, Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China. Industrial “Three Wastes” Emission Standards Trial Edition (GB J4–73). Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing, 1973 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  10. National Environmental Protection Agency of the People’s Republic of China. Emission Standards of Air Pollutants for Coal-fired Power Plants (GB 13223-91). Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing, 1991 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  11. National Environmental Protection Agency of the People’s Republic of China. Emission Standard of Air Pollutants for Thermal Power Plants (GB 13223-1996). 2nd ed. Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing, 1996 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  12. State Environmental Protection Administration of the People’s Republic of China, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China. Emission Standard of Air Pollutants for Thermal Power Plants (GB 13223-2003). 3rd ed. Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing, 2003 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China. Emission Standard of Air Pollutants for Thermal Power Plants (GB 13223-2011). 4th ed. Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing, 2011 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  14. National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China, Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China, National Energy Administration of the People’s Republic of China. Action Plan on Upgrading and Reconstruction of Coal-fired Power Industry for Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction (2014–2020). 2014, No.2093 (in Chinese)

  15. Zhou H, Zhao L, Chen C, Li M. Research on the technical route and industrial application of near-zero emission of coal-fired power plants supplied with Shenhua Coal. Electric Power, 2015, 48: 89–92 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Wang S, Song C, Chen Y, et al. Technology research and engineering applications of near-zero air pollutant emission coal-fired power plants. Research of Environmental Sciences, 2015, 28: 487–494 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Guan W. “Near-zero” emission should not be applied in coal-fired power plant. China Power Enterprise Management, 2014(19): 29–31 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Wang Z. “Near-zero” emission in coal-fired power plant does not make sense. China Energy News, 2014 (in Chinese)

  19. China Electricity Council. Annual Development Report of China Power Industry (2016). Beijing: China Market Press, 2017 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Chang S, Zhuo J, Meng S, Qin S, Yao Q. Clean coal technologies in China: current status and future perspectives. Engineering, 2016, 2 (4): 447–459

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Yang L. Field Test and Estimation of Mercury Emission from the Coal-fired Power Plant. Dissertation for the Master’s Degree. Beijing: North China Electric Power University, 2016 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Zhuo J K, Chen Q, Yao Q. Clean Coal Technology. 2nd ed. Beijing: Chemical Industry Press, 2016 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Ochoa-González R, Díaz-Somoano M, Martínez-Tarazona M R. Influence of limestone characteristics on mercury re-emission in WFGD systems. Environmental Science and Technology, 2013, 47 (6): 2974–2981

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Sun C, Snape C E, Liu H. Development of low-cost functional adsorbents for control of mercury (Hg) emissions from coal combustion. Energy & Fuels, 2013, 27(7): 3875–3882

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. China Electricity Council. Annual Development Report of China Power Industry. Beijing: China Market Press, 2018 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China. Emission Standard of Air Pollutants for Boiler (GB 13271-2014). 4th ed. Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing, 2014 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China. Emission Standard of Air Pollutants for Steel Smelt Industry (GB 28664-2012). 4th ed. Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing, 2012 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China. Emission Standard of Air Pollutants for Cement Industry (GB 4915-2013). 4th ed. Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing, 2013 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China. Emission Standard of Air Pollutants for Flat Glass Industry (GB 26453-2011). 4th ed. Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing, 2011 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  30. Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China. Emission Standard of Air Pollutants for Petroleum Chemistry Industry (GB 31571–2015). 4th ed. Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing, 2011 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  31. Dong C. Anthropogenic Atmospheric Mercury Emissions Inventory and Analysis in China. Dissertation for the Master’s Degree. Xi’an: Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, 2015 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  32. Yi Q, Xue Z, Song K, et al. The research of heavy metal emission and control in flue gas from coal-fired power plants. Environment and Sustainable Development, 2015(05):118–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Zhao Y, Xue F, Wang H, et al. Estimation of mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants in China during the 12th Five-Year Period. Electric Power, 2014(02):135–139 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2017M620758), Special Funds of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (L1522032), and the Consulting Project of Chinese Academy of Engineering (2015-ZCQ-06).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Weiliang Wang, Xuan Yao, Junfu Lyu & Weidou Ni

  2. Electric Power Planning and Engineering Institute, Beijing, 100120, China

    Bo Li

  3. Beijing Guodian Longyuan Environmental Engineering Co., Ltd., Beijing, 100084, China

    Xuan Yao

Authors
  1. Weiliang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bo Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xuan Yao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Junfu Lyu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Weidou Ni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Weiliang Wang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, W., Li, B., Yao, X. et al. Air pollutant control and strategy in coal-fired power industry for promotion of China’s emission reduction. Front. Energy 13, 307–316 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-019-0620-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-019-0620-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation