Scholarlink

Purpose <p>It is necessary to implement more sustainable clean coal-power generation technologies for coal-fired power generation, particularly at regional levels. We aim to compare the provincial-specific environmental impacts of the clean coal-power generation technologies and propose the optimal technology to mitigate the environmental impacts.</p> Methods <p>We used life cycle assessment (LCA) to analyze and compare the environmental impacts of four clean coal power generation technologies: ultra-supercritical (USC), supercritical (Super-C), fluidized circulating bed (CFB), and subcritical (Sub-C) in Anhui province, a major coal power generation province in China. The life cycle of coal power generation includes coal mining, coal washing, and coal burning sages. The six environmental impact categories are abiotic resource depletion (ADP), global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), photochemical ozone potential (POP), particulate form (PF), and solid waste (SW). The functional unit is 1 MWh of power generated.</p> Results <p>The results indicated that the impacts of coal burning dominated in ADP, GWP, AP, and SW. Both coal washing and coal mining contributed to over 90% of POP and PF, respectively. Among the four technologies, CFB and Sub-C generally had the two largest ADP, GWP, POP, PF, and SW, followed by Super-C and USC. Sub-C and Super-C had greater AP than USC and CFB. Then, we conducted a sensitivity analysis on USC and Super-C technologies accounting for 72% of installed thermal power capacity in Anhui province. Results showed that the reduction degrees for their environmental impacts ranged from 3.1 to 11.7%, especially for PF and GWP. Super-C exhibited greater environmental improvement than USC, primarily in PF, AP, SW, and GWP. To improve the environmental feasibility of the coal-based generation plants, we finally proposed some recommendations, including upgrading installed units for coal-fired power generation, decarbonizing coal-fired power generation, and optimizing energy structure with increasing alternative energy.</p> Conclusions <p>The four clean coal power generation technologies in Anhui province yields substantially different environmental impacts, especially in coal washing and coal mining stages. Although USC and Super-C technologies generally showed more environmental benefits, we should focus on developing more efficient, cleaner, and low-emission coal technologies. Our study contributes to not only mitigating the environmental impacts of coal power generation but also advancing the coal power generation technologies for other regions across China.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Comparative life cycle assessment of four clean coal power generation technologies in Anhui province, China

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月23日

查看全文
  • Huijun Wu,
  • Weixin Fang,
  • Ling Zhang,
  • Yuanyuan Ye,
  • Li Yang,
  • Zhanfeng Dong

摘要

Purpose

It is necessary to implement more sustainable clean coal-power generation technologies for coal-fired power generation, particularly at regional levels. We aim to compare the provincial-specific environmental impacts of the clean coal-power generation technologies and propose the optimal technology to mitigate the environmental impacts.

Methods

We used life cycle assessment (LCA) to analyze and compare the environmental impacts of four clean coal power generation technologies: ultra-supercritical (USC), supercritical (Super-C), fluidized circulating bed (CFB), and subcritical (Sub-C) in Anhui province, a major coal power generation province in China. The life cycle of coal power generation includes coal mining, coal washing, and coal burning sages. The six environmental impact categories are abiotic resource depletion (ADP), global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), photochemical ozone potential (POP), particulate form (PF), and solid waste (SW). The functional unit is 1 MWh of power generated.

Results

The results indicated that the impacts of coal burning dominated in ADP, GWP, AP, and SW. Both coal washing and coal mining contributed to over 90% of POP and PF, respectively. Among the four technologies, CFB and Sub-C generally had the two largest ADP, GWP, POP, PF, and SW, followed by Super-C and USC. Sub-C and Super-C had greater AP than USC and CFB. Then, we conducted a sensitivity analysis on USC and Super-C technologies accounting for 72% of installed thermal power capacity in Anhui province. Results showed that the reduction degrees for their environmental impacts ranged from 3.1 to 11.7%, especially for PF and GWP. Super-C exhibited greater environmental improvement than USC, primarily in PF, AP, SW, and GWP. To improve the environmental feasibility of the coal-based generation plants, we finally proposed some recommendations, including upgrading installed units for coal-fired power generation, decarbonizing coal-fired power generation, and optimizing energy structure with increasing alternative energy.

Conclusions

The four clean coal power generation technologies in Anhui province yields substantially different environmental impacts, especially in coal washing and coal mining stages. Although USC and Super-C technologies generally showed more environmental benefits, we should focus on developing more efficient, cleaner, and low-emission coal technologies. Our study contributes to not only mitigating the environmental impacts of coal power generation but also advancing the coal power generation technologies for other regions across China.