Estimation of Mercury Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants in China - Mercury Emission and its Control in Chinese Coal-Fired Power Plants - page 24

Table 3.2 Mercury emissions estimated from coal-fired power plants in China (tons)
Year Wang et al . (2006) Jiang et al . (2005) Streets et al . (2005) This study

1995 72.86 - - 73.4

1999 - - 68 85.1

2000 - 76.83 - 90.5

3.4 The Future Development Trend Forecasts

Over the next decades, it is predicted that coal shall remain as the most important
energy source in China. In addition, the proportion of coal consumed by the electric
power industry to total coal consumption is predicted to increase from 48% in 2005
to 64% in 2020.
The proportion of washed coal to total coal used by coal-fired power plants in
China from 1999 to 2004 decreased because of the increased cost of burning
washed coal. However, the use of washed coal is predicted to increase in the future.
Although the SCR device configuration of coal-fired power plants in China is small
at present, it is estimated that the proportion of coal-fired power plants with SCR
can reach 5% in 2010 and 10% in 2020. Coal-fired power plants in China in the
future shall still be 100% equipped with ESP.
There are about 30% of coal-fired power plants that have been equipped with
desulfurization equipment in China since 2006. It is predicted that the proportion of
those equipped plants can reach 50% in 2010 and 70% in 2020. In general,
coal-fired power plants with SCR configuration in China are also equipped with the
desulfurization equipment. The total EMF of coal-fired power plants with simul-
taneous configurations of SCR, ESP and WFGD is only 0.124.
The mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants reached 161.3 and 172.2
tons in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Coal-fired power plants with WFGD com-
prised 50% of the total coal-fired power plants and those with SCR comprised 5%
of the total in 2010. Mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants in 2010
reached 179.4 tons, although coal used in 2010 increased to 66.8 million tons
compared with the amount used in 2008. In 2020, coal-fired power plants with
WFGD reached 70% of total coal-fired power plants and those with SCR are ex-
pected to account for 10% of the total. Accordingly, mercury emissions from
coal-fired power plants in 2020 are predicted to reach 207.0 tons.
Growth rates of coal consumption and mercury emissions of coal-fired power
plants in China from 2005 to 2020 are shown in Fig. 3.4. The growth rate of mer-
cury emissions was lower than that of coal consumption; the growth rate of mercury
emissions was even negative in 2010 (Fig. 3.4). This indicated that active mercury
pollution control measures can lessen the increase in mercury emissions, thus re-
ducing environmental pollution.