131 - The Co-Benefits of Clean Air and Low-Carbon Policies on Mercury Emission Reductions from Coal-Fired Power Plants in China

"China has implemented a series of measures to address air pollutants and carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants, which can mitigate toxic mercury emissions simultaneously. To investigate the co-benefits of clean air and low-carbon policies, we compiled a detailed inventory of historical mercury emissions for China's coal-fired power plants during 2005–2020 based on plant-level information. Then, several scenarios were designed to assess the evolution of mercury emissions for each coal-fired power plant with consideration of the coal washing rate, air pollution control devices, operational hours and lifetime. The total mercury emissions decreased from 106.4 tons in 2005 to 92.4 tons in 2020, mainly due to the widely installation of upgraded end-of-pipe devices and the decommissioning of small and emission-intensive plants, especially in Sichuan, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Scenario analysis shows that reducing the operational lifetime to 20 years is the most effective measure to reduce national mercury emissions, but the effects differ widely between regions. This study provides insights for China meeting the requirements of the Minamata Convention and carbon neutrality, by enhancing the co-benefits of mercury pollution and carbon emission control.

The main authors of this work are Jiashuo Li, Yuli Shan,Yaqin Guo, Bin Chen and Yanxian Li."