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"The low-carbon transformation time for coal-fired power is tight"

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2024/7/22 Viewed：

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The "Action Plan for the Construction of Low-carbon Coal-Power Reform and Construction (2024-2027)" is issued to coordinate the low-carbon transformation and construction of new coal-electric power units and the low-carbon construction of new coal-electric power units, and promote the construction of a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient new energy system.

On July 15, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration issued the "Action Plan for the Construction of Coal-Power Low-Carbon Transformation and Construction of Coal-Power Low-Carbon Transformation (2024-2027)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Action Plan"), which clearly put forward the main goals, construction requirements and guarantee measures for the construction of coal-Power Low-Carbon Transformation and Construction. It is understood that the issuance of the "Action Plan" aims to coordinate the low-carbon transformation of existing coal-electric units and the low-carbon construction of new coal-electric units, and promote the construction of a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient new energy system.

Request for results from the low-carbon transformation of coal-fired power

"The low-carbon transformation of coal-fired power is not only important, but also time is urgent." Chen Zongfa, chief expert of the China Electric Power Enterprise Federation, emphasized in an interview with a reporter from China Energy News.

Data shows that in 2023, coal-fired power will undertake the peak supply guarantee task of 70% of the country with less than 40%, effectively ensuring my country's people's livelihood electricity consumption and economic and social development needs. However, in 2023, carbon emissions in the energy sector account for more than 80% of the total carbon emissions in the country, of which more than 50% of the electricity carbon emissions in the energy industry, and most of them are derived from coal-fired power.

my country has always been actively implementing energy-saving transformation of coal-fired power, and the carbon emission level of coal-fired power units has gradually decreased: the national average power supply coal consumption in the first three years of the 11th Five-Year Plan, 12th Five-Year Plan, 13th Five-Year Plan, and the 14th Five-Year Plan, respectively, decreased by 37.0 grams/kilowatt-hour, 17.6 grams/kilowatt-hour, 9.9 grams/kilowatt-hour and 1.6 grams/kilowatt-hour respectively.

With the large-scale grid connection of new energy, the depth and frequency of coal-fired power peak shaving continue to increase, and the operating conditions of coal-fired power have undergone profound changes. It is urgent to further promote the low-carbon transformation of coal-fired power through technical methods such as carbon reduction at the source and carbon fixation at the end.

In recent years, my country has vigorously developed renewable energy and accelerated the construction of new power systems. Coal-fired power will gradually shift from the main power supply to basic guarantee and system-regulated power supply. Chen Zongfa also pointed out that coal-fired power is the "pillar" and "ballast stone" for energy supply guarantee in the near and medium term, and is the "main regulation power supply" and "emergency backup power supply" and key support for building a new power system. It is also the main means to reduce pollution and carbon reduction and achieve the "dual carbon" goal.

"Under the background of responding to climate change and accelerating the realization of the 'dual carbon' goal, it is necessary to further promote the low-carbon transformation of coal-fired power and make special arrangements to achieve tangible results." Chen Zongfa emphasized.

The "Action Plan" puts forward the goal of the construction of low-carbon transformation and construction of coal-fired power: by 2025, all the first batch of low-carbon transformation and construction projects of coal-fired power will be started, and a batch of low-carbon power generation technologies will be transformed and applied; the carbon emissions of kilowatt-hours-high-carbon coal-fired power units in related projects will be reduced by about 20% compared with the average carbon emission level of similar coal-fired power units in 2023, significantly lower than the carbon emission level of existing advanced coal-fired power units. By 2027, the technical route of low-carbon power generation of coal-fired power will be further expanded, and construction and operation costs will be significantly reduced; the carbon emissions of kilowatt-hours-high power units in related projects will be reduced by about 50% compared with the average carbon emission level of similar coal-fired power units in 2023, close to the carbon emission level of natural gas generator units.

Implement measures according to local conditions

Regarding the issuance of the "Action Plan", a relevant person in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission said in an interview that based on full research, systematic analysis and in-depth demonstration, the "Action Plan" proposes three transformation and construction methods, and clarifies the transformation and construction requirements in three aspects: project layout, unit conditions, and carbon reduction effects.

The three transformation and construction methods are: biomass blending, making full use of biomass resources such as agricultural and forestry waste, sand plants, and energy plants, and implementing coupled biomass power generation of coal-fired power; ingammonium blending, using renewable energy surplus power such as wind power and solar power generation, making green hydrogen by electrolyzing water and synthesizing ingammonium, and implementing coal-fired unit-blending ingammonium power generation; carbon capture and utilization and storage (CCUS), using chemical methods, adsorption methods, membrane methods and other technologies to separate and capture carbon dioxide in the flue gas of coal-fired boilers, implementing resource utilization such as efficient oil discharging, and preparing methanol, or implementing geological sealing according to local conditions.

The application scenarios of these three transformation and construction methods are also different. Chen Zongfa told reporters that the "Action Plan" sets corresponding implementation conditions and scope. For example, biomass mixed with coal-fired boiler technology, including post-gasification mixed combustion, indirect mixed combustion and direct mixed combustion methods, can achieve a mixed mixed blending volume of 0%-100%, but the large and stable supply of biomass is a problem. From an economic perspective, except for CCUS, the cost of coal-electric units remains basically unchanged, and the cost-effectiveness is better than that of the gas engine; from a technical perspective, the technical challenges are high, but not unattainable.

According to Zhang Lin, director of the Planning and Development Department of the China Electric Power Enterprise Federation, since the 13th Five-Year Plan, my country has implemented direct biomass combustion and admixture in coal-fired power plants in Shiliquan, Rizhao and other places in Shandong. Relevant technologies have already had the foundation for large-scale demonstration; ammonia-doped combustion is a cutting-edge power generation technology. In recent years, my country has conducted ammonia-doped combustion tests in industrial-grade coal-fired units in Taishan and Guangdong, and relevant technologies have already had the foundation for large-scale demonstration; and CCUS is a bottom-line technology to achieve carbon neutrality.

It is also understood that power generation companies are constantly making breakthroughs in technology and projects in response to the three methods of low-carbon transformation and construction of coal-fired power. On July 14, the first verification project of Huaneng's large coal-fired unit low-temperature pollutant integrated removal technology (COAP) successfully passed a 168-hour trial operation at Huaneng Linyi Power Plant. The next generation of "COAP+" technology, which deeply integrates COAP technology and carbon dioxide capture technology, can ultimately achieve efficient and coordinated removal of flue gas pollutants and carbon dioxide. This is also the first international low-temperature pollutant integrated near-zero emission project put into operation.

"Carbon reduction" requires more innovative practice

Chen Zongfa told reporters that since the 13th Five-Year Plan, my country has solved the problem of "pollution reduction" by implementing ultra-low emission transformation of coal-fired power, and has better achieved clean power generation, comparable to gas engines. Through the "three reform linkage" and the carbon market, the carbon emission level of coal-fired power has been decreasing year by year. However, in order to make major breakthroughs in the issue of "carbon reduction", technological research and development and innovative practices are still needed. "According to the new strategic positioning of coal-fired power, to create a new type of coal-fired power with performance comparable to that of gas engines, it is necessary to improve the unit's climbing rate, increase the unit's start-stop frequency, and adopt new technology for wide-load and high-efficiency units and low-carbon technologies."

In terms of strengthening technological innovation and application, the "Action Plan" points out that it is necessary to strengthen technical research and development such as coal-fired biomass, low-cost chlorammonia preparation, high-proportional blended crop straw, accelerate the technical research and development of coal-fired flue gas carbon dioxide capture and consumption reduction, absorber loss, improvement of mass transfer performance of large tower parts, capture-power generation system coordination, control process optimization, and fill in technical shortcomings such as carbon dioxide resource utilization, saltwater layer sealing, and industrial integrated coupling.

In addition, the Action Plan also proposes that for projects included in the national coal-fired power low-carbon transformation and construction project list, on the basis of coordinating comprehensive operating costs, actual carbon reduction effects and various market benefits, a sharing mechanism shared by the government, enterprises and users will be explored and established, and phased support policies will be provided. Eligible projects are encouraged to raise funds through issuing real estate investment trust funds in the field of infrastructure, green bonds, or applying for green credit, scientific and technological innovation and technological transformation re-loans, to attract various investment entities to participate in and support the construction of low-carbon transformation of coal-fired power.

In order to effectively stimulate the enthusiasm for low-carbon transformation of coal-fired power, the Action Plan also points out that it is necessary to promote the separate measurement of part of the electricity used for the combustion of biomass/green ammonia power generation, the installation of carbon capture and utilization and storage facilities. Power grid enterprises should optimize the power operation scheduling plan, give priority to supporting the low-carbon transformation and construction projects of coal-fired power with outstanding carbon emission reduction effects to connect to the power grid, and give priority to the renewable energy generation or zero-carbon generation of the project.

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