TY - JOUR
T1 - Maximizing the environmental benefits of gas power development in China
T2 - A multidisciplinary modeling approach
AU - Chen, Yan
AU - Davidson, Michael
AU - Liu, Yu
AU - Liu, Dachuan
AU - Zhang, Huawei
AU - Wang, Chaozi
AU - Fan, Xinyu
AU - Ren, Muzhen
AU - Wang, Pu
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s)
PY - 2024/11/15
Y1 - 2024/11/15
N2 - China, holding nearly half of the global coal-fired power capacity, must shift from its coal-centric energy system to meet climate and air quality goals. This study explores the optimal utilization of natural gas by evaluating the environmental and economic costs of gas- and coal-fired power using plant-level data and a multidisciplinary modeling approach. We find that gas power has substantially lower air pollution costs (0.77 versus 12.2 cents/kWh) and moderately lower GHG costs (2.8 versus 4.5 cents/kWh), with an average environmental advantage of 12.1 cents/kWh and a social benefit of 10.4 cents/kWh when considering LCOE. The benefits vary spatially with the highest benefits in east-central China. Prioritizing substitution in regions with high environmental benefits could reduce SO2, NOx, and PM emissions by 28%, 15%, and 56%, respectively, offering a 52% higher environmental benefit than existing gas power plans. This study provides quantitative support for gas power development in China.
AB - China, holding nearly half of the global coal-fired power capacity, must shift from its coal-centric energy system to meet climate and air quality goals. This study explores the optimal utilization of natural gas by evaluating the environmental and economic costs of gas- and coal-fired power using plant-level data and a multidisciplinary modeling approach. We find that gas power has substantially lower air pollution costs (0.77 versus 12.2 cents/kWh) and moderately lower GHG costs (2.8 versus 4.5 cents/kWh), with an average environmental advantage of 12.1 cents/kWh and a social benefit of 10.4 cents/kWh when considering LCOE. The benefits vary spatially with the highest benefits in east-central China. Prioritizing substitution in regions with high environmental benefits could reduce SO2, NOx, and PM emissions by 28%, 15%, and 56%, respectively, offering a 52% higher environmental benefit than existing gas power plans. This study provides quantitative support for gas power development in China.
KW - Earth sciences
KW - Energy policy
KW - Environmental science
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85207323169
U2 - 10.1016/j.isci.2024.111041
DO - 10.1016/j.isci.2024.111041
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85207323169
SN - 2589-0042
VL - 27
JO - iScience
JF - iScience
IS - 11
M1 - 111041
ER -