Future of lignite resources: a life cycle analysis

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Energy Science
• Economic Analysis

Background:

• Lignite represents 13% of China's coal reserves, necessitating quality improvement for effective utilization.
• Assessing environmental and economic impacts is crucial for optimizing lignite processing technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the environmental and economic impacts of lignite drying and compression technology.
• To identify critical factors influencing these impacts for industrial and policy guidance.

Main Methods:

• Integrated Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to quantify environmental impacts.
• Life Cycle Costing (LCC) to determine economic costs.
• Analysis of key processes including mining, drying, compression, transportation, and wastewater treatment.

Main Results:

• Lignite mining, direct air emissions, and electricity consumption were identified as major environmental impact contributors.
• The lignite mining process was the most significant factor for both environmental impacts and economic costs.
• Transportation and wastewater treatment had negligible environmental and economic effects.

Conclusions:

• Lignite mining is the primary driver of environmental and economic burdens in drying and compression processes.
• Identifying critical factors can guide strategies to mitigate negative impacts.
• Findings support informed decision-making for lignite resource exploitation and management.