Permitted emissions of major air pollutants from coal-fired power plants in China based on best available control technology

Based on the activity level and technical information of coal-fired power-generating units(CFPGU)obtained in China from 2011 to 2015,we,1)analyzed the time and spatial distribution of SO_(2) and NOx emission performance of CFPGUs in China;2)studied the impact of installed capacity,sulfur content of coal combustion,and unit operation starting time on CFPGUs’pollutant emission performance;and 3)proposed the SO_(2) and NOx emission performance standards for coal-fired power plants based on the best available control technology.Our results show that:1)the larger the capacity of a CFPGU,the higher the control level and the faster the improvement;2)the CFPGUs in the developed eastern regions had significantly lower SO_(2) and NOx emission performance values than those in other provinces due to better economic and technological development and higher environmental management levels;3)the SO_(2) and NOx emission performance of the Chinese thermal power industry was significantly affected by the single-unit capacity,coal sulfur content,and unit operation starting time;and 4)based on the achievability analysis of best available pollution control technology,we believe that the CFPGUs’SO_(2) emission performance reference values should be 0.34 g/kWh for active units in general areas,0.8 g/kWh for active units in high-sulfur coal areas,and 0.13 g/kWh for newly built units and active units in key areas.In addition,the NOx emission performance reference values should be 0.35 g/kWh for active units in general areas and 0.175 g/kWh for new units and active units in key areas.