Coal combustion from industrial production is a chief contributor to China’s air pollution and rising greenhouse gas emissions. Despite this known linkage, there is no guide for China’s air pollution officials to assess the degree to which clean energy policies and reduced energy consumption could help to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. China’s Top 1,000 and Top 10,000 programs have saved about 420 million tons of coal. But how do these coal savings relate to reducing air pollution? The Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) and the Institute for Industrial Productivity (IIP) recently answered this question and are equipping China’s air regulators with the tools necessary to include clean energy and energy efficiency programs in their air quality plans. This brief summarizes the coal savings and avoided emissions of oxides of nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide from 84 of the Top 10,000 projects, as well as provides recommendations for incorporating energy efficiency into air quality management plans. The analysis shows average on-site savings of 10 to 60 RMB per ton of coal saved and average off-site savings of 100 to 110 RMB per ton of coal saved. Additional societal benefits, including public health benefits of 260 RMB per ton of coal avoided, make the savings even more economically attractive. A more detailed report and process templates are being developed to allow air officials to use the same “plug and play” process that they use for other control measures in their plans.
Integrating Industrial Efficiency Measures into Air Quality Plans
November 24, 2015
- By
- Christopher James ,
- Bob Taylor ,
- Gu Junchao