Reduction Effects of Replacing Conventional Coal-Fired Power Generation with Advanced Technologies
This article explains in detail how much coal usage and CO2 emissions can be reduced by replacing conventional coal-fired power generation, widely used globally, with advanced technologies such as IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) or GTCC (Gas Turbine Combined Cycle, natural gas-fired power generation), including specific examples.
1. Current Status and Challenges of Coal-Fired Power Generation
Conventional coal-fired power generation remains a significant part of the global electricity supply but faces the following issues:
- Low Efficiency
Power generation efficiency is around 35%, with much of the fuel wasted. - High CO2 Emissions
Approximately 2.5 kg of CO2 is emitted per kWh of electricity generated. - High Fuel Consumption
Due to inefficiency, large amounts of coal are required for the same amount of electricity.
For example, with global coal-fired power generation producing approximately 10,000 TWh annually, CO2 emissions reach around 25,000 Mt (megatonnes), and coal consumption totals 4,300 Mt.
2. Impact of Introducing IGCC
IGCC is a technology that gasifies coal and then uses the gas for power generation.
This improves power generation efficiency to approximately 45%, significantly reducing coal usage and CO2 emissions.
Specific Reduction Figures
- Coal Usage
Conventional coal-fired power requires about 0.43 kg of coal per kWh. With IGCC’s efficiency (45%), this reduces to around 0.33 kg.
→ Annual coal consumption decreases from 4,300 Mt to 3,300 Mt (approximately 23% reduction).
- CO2 Emissions
The emission factor of conventional coal-fired power is approximately 2.5 kg-CO2/kWh. With IGCC, it decreases to around 2.0 kg-CO2/kWh due to improved efficiency.
→ Annual CO2 emissions drop from 25,000 Mt-CO2 to 20,000 Mt-CO2 (approximately 20% reduction).
A Concrete Example
For a typical Japanese household consuming 300 kWh per month, conventional coal-fired power would emit approximately 750 kg of CO2, whereas IGCC would reduce this to about 600 kg—equivalent to the CO2 emitted by a car traveling about 600 km.
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