JiSMART2021—059: Study On Carbon Dioxide Emission of Coal for Electric Power and Low Carbon Utilization Methods in China

Abstract

Rapid economic growth has dramatically expanded China's energy demand. Coal supplied most of China's total energy consumption, especially the consumption for electricity generation. The electric utility industry has become the largest source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in China. Under such serious situ, coal-fired electricity generators are the key to reducing carbon emissions in the electric utility industry. This paper aims to explore the path to realizing low-carbon coal-fired electricity generation in China based on the emission peak and carbon neutralization targets. Firstly, this paper investigates the primary energy structure and the characteristics of existing electric power generators in China. And then, the variation pattern of coal consumption and CO2 emission of coal-fired generators is analyzed. Finally, the ways of low-carbon coal-fired electricity generation are discussed from four aspects, including the capacity and parameters of coal-fired generator units, energy-saving technology of coal-fired generators, the balance between coal-fired generators and water-electrolytic hydrogen production, and lastly the decarbonization technology in the process of coal utilization. This paper could provide a reference for the realization of the coal-fired generation emission peak in China.