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Remarkable Spatial Disparity of Life Cycle Inventory for Coal Production in China
You Zhang1,2, Xuewei Liu1, Laure Patouillard3
1State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
Environmental Science & Technology
|October 5, 2023
Summary
This study creates the first provincial life cycle inventories (LCIs) for Chinese coal production, revealing significant regional variations in emissions. These detailed LCIs are crucial for accurate environmental assessments and understanding coal
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Life Cycle Assessment
- Energy Systems Analysis
Background:
- Coal is China's primary energy source, with its life cycle inventory (LCI) essential for life cycle assessment (LCA).
- Existing coal production LCIs lack regional specificity, limiting their accuracy for diverse Chinese provinces.
- Regional variations in coal production inventories are known but not comprehensively documented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish the first provincial-level LCIs for local coal production and market coal in China.
- To quantify regional variations in coal production impacts and understand the effects of interprovincial trade.
- To provide accurate data for future research, particularly in electricity production and climate change mitigation.
Main Methods:
- Compilation of a database encompassing 6,122 coal mines across China.
- Development of models to generate provincial-level life cycle inventories (LCIs).
- Analysis of emission factors and trade data to assess regional differentiation and homogenization.
Main Results:
- Significant regional variations in local coal production were identified, with nine indicators showing coefficients of variation (CVs) exceeding 0.5, notably SO2 and particulate matter emissions (CVs > 1).
- Interprovincial coal trade partially homogenizes market coal inventories, though four indicators still exhibit CVs over 0.5.
- Methane (CH4) emissions from coal production constitute 24% of China's total methane emissions, underscoring its climate impact.
- Increasing coal trade leads to significant, implicit water resource depletion in three water-scarce, coal net-exporting provinces.
Conclusions:
- The developed regionalized LCIs offer more accurate data for environmental research and policy-making in China.
- The findings highlight the critical role of coal production in China's greenhouse gas emissions and water resource management.
- Addressing regional disparities and trade impacts is essential for sustainable energy development and environmental protection.
