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81-433: Teruel Power Plant was a lignite fired power plant near the town of Andorra in the province of Teruel , community of Aragon , Spain . The flue gas stack of Teruel Power Plant was 343 metres (1,125 ft) high. Teruel Power Plant had three generating units with a capacity of 350 megawatts each. In 1992, Teruel Power Plant was equipped with filters that reduced the amount of detrimental sulfur dioxide emitted in

162-460: A greenhouse gas which is a major contributor to global warming . The results of a recent study show that the net income available to shareholders of large companies could see a significant reduction from the greenhouse gas emissions liability related to only natural disasters in the United States from a single coal-fired power plant. However, as of 2015, no such cases have awarded damages in

243-630: A cooler cooling system. However, it may be used in cogeneration plants to heat buildings, produce hot water, or to heat materials on an industrial scale, such as in some oil refineries , plants, and chemical synthesis plants. Typical thermal efficiency for utility-scale electrical generators is around 37% for coal and oil-fired plants, and 56 – 60% (LEV) for combined-cycle gas-fired plants. Plants designed to achieve peak efficiency while operating at capacity will be less efficient when operating off-design (i.e. temperatures too low.) Practical fossil fuels stations operating as heat engines cannot exceed

324-404: A cooler medium must be equal or larger than the ratio of absolute temperatures of the cooling system (environment) and the heat source (combustion furnace). Raising the furnace temperature improves the efficiency but complicates the design, primarily by the selection of alloys used for construction, making the furnace more expensive. The waste heat cannot be converted into mechanical energy without

405-570: A decade or so, and nitrous oxides last about 100 years. The graph gives some indication of which regions have contributed most to human-induced climate change. When these numbers are calculated per capita cumulative emissions based on then-current population the situation is shown even more clearly. The ratio in per capita emissions between industrialized countries and developing countries was estimated at more than 10 to 1. Non- OECD countries accounted for 42% of cumulative energy-related CO 2 emissions between 1890 and 2007. Over this time period,

486-503: A factory or data center, or may also be operated in parallel with the local utility system to reduce peak power demand charge from the utility. Diesel engines can produce strong torque at relatively low rotational speeds, which is generally desirable when driving an alternator , but diesel fuel in long-term storage can be subject to problems resulting from water accumulation and chemical decomposition . Rarely used generator sets may correspondingly be installed as natural gas or LPG to minimize

567-487: A fine filter that collects the ash particles, electrostatic precipitators use an electric field to trap ash particles on high-voltage plates, and cyclone collectors use centrifugal force to trap particles to the walls. A recent study indicates that sulfur emissions from fossil fueled power stations in China may have caused a 10-year lull in global warming (1998-2008). Fossil-fuel power stations, particularly coal-fired plants, are

648-478: A fossil fuel power plant the chemical energy stored in fossil fuels such as coal , fuel oil , natural gas or oil shale and oxygen of the air is converted successively into thermal energy , mechanical energy and, finally, electrical energy . Each fossil fuel power plant is a complex, custom-designed system. Multiple generating units may be built at a single site for more efficient use of land , natural resources and labor . Most thermal power stations in

729-517: A lack of comparability, which is problematic when monitoring progress towards targets. There are arguments for the adoption of a common measurement tool, or at least the development of communication between different tools. Emissions may be tracked over long time periods, known as historical or cumulative emissions measurements. Cumulative emissions provide some indicators of what is responsible for greenhouse gas atmospheric concentration build-up. The national accounts balance tracks emissions based on

810-636: A major source of industrial wastewater . Wastewater streams include flue-gas desulfurization, fly ash, bottom ash and flue gas mercury control. Plants with air pollution controls such as wet scrubbers typically transfer the captured pollutants to the wastewater stream. Ash ponds , a type of surface impoundment, are a widely used treatment technology at coal-fired plants. These ponds use gravity to settle out large particulates (measured as total suspended solids ) from power plant wastewater. This technology does not treat dissolved pollutants. Power stations use additional technologies to control pollutants, depending on

891-856: A particular base year. Choosing between base years of 1750, 1900, 1950, and 1990 has a significant effect for most countries. Within the G8 group of countries, it is most significant for the UK, France and Germany. These countries have a long history of CO 2 emissions (see the section on Cumulative and historical emissions ). The Global Carbon Project continuously releases data about CO 2 emissions, budget and concentration. and industry (excluding cement carbonation) Gt C change Gt C Gt C Gt CO 2 (projection) Distribution of global greenhouse gas emissions based on type of greenhouse gas, without land-use change, using 100 year global warming potential (data from 2020). Total: 49.8 GtCO 2 e Carbon dioxide (CO 2 )

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972-408: A particular fuel. As an example, a new 1500 MW supercritical lignite-fueled power station running on average at half its capacity might have annual CO 2 emissions estimated as: = 1500MW x 0.5 x 100/40 x 101000 kg/TJ x 1year = 1500MJ/s x 0.5 x 2.5 x 0.101 kg/MJ x 365x24x60x60s = 1.5x10 x 5x10 x 2.5 x 1.01 x 3.1536x10 kg = 59.7 x10 kg = 5.97 Mt Thus the example power station

1053-447: A reciprocating gas engine . All plants use the energy extracted from the expansion of a hot gas, either steam or combustion gases. Although different energy conversion methods exist, all thermal power station conversion methods have their efficiency limited by the Carnot efficiency and therefore produce waste heat . Fossil fuel power stations provide most of the electrical energy used in

1134-433: A serious impact on public health. Power plants remove particulate from the flue gas with the use of a bag house or electrostatic precipitator . Several newer plants that burn coal use a different process, Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle in which synthesis gas is made out of a reaction between coal and water. The synthesis gas is processed to remove most pollutants and then used initially to power gas turbines. Then

1215-475: A significant contributor to warming. Although CFCs are greenhouse gases, they are regulated by the Montreal Protocol which was motivated by CFCs' contribution to ozone depletion rather than by their contribution to global warming. Ozone depletion has only a minor role in greenhouse warming, though the two processes are sometimes confused in the media. In 2016, negotiators from over 170 nations meeting at

1296-457: A significant margin, Asia's and the world's largest emitter: it emits nearly 10 billion tonnes each year, more than one-quarter of global emissions. Other countries with fast growing emissions are South Korea , Iran, and Australia (which apart from the oil rich Persian Gulf states, now has the highest per capita emission rate in the world). On the other hand, annual per capita emissions of the EU-15 and

1377-497: Is a deceiving baseline for comparison: just the Chernobyl nuclear disaster released, in iodine-131 alone, an estimated 1.76 EBq. of radioactivity, a value one order of magnitude above this value for total emissions from all coal burned within a century, while the iodine-131, the major radioactive substance which comes out in accident situations, has a half life of just 8 days. Greenhouse gas emissions Carbon dioxide (CO 2 )

1458-450: Is a framework of methods to measure and track how much greenhouse gas an organization emits. Cumulative anthropogenic (i.e., human-emitted) emissions of CO 2 from fossil fuel use are a major cause of global warming , and give some indication of which countries have contributed most to human-induced climate change. In particular, CO 2 stays in the atmosphere for at least 150 years and up to 1000 years, whilst methane disappears within

1539-424: Is a relatively cheap fuel. Coal is an impure fuel and produces more greenhouse gas and pollution than an equivalent amount of petroleum or natural gas. For instance, the operation of a 1000-MWe coal-fired power plant results in a nuclear radiation dose of 490 person-rem/year, compared to 136 person-rem/year for an equivalent nuclear power plant, including uranium mining, reactor operation and waste disposal. Coal

1620-419: Is burned that significant amounts of these substances are released. A 1,000 MW coal-burning power plant could have an uncontrolled release of as much as 5.2 metric tons per year of uranium (containing 74 pounds (34 kg) of uranium-235 ) and 12.8 metric tons per year of thorium. In comparison, a 1,000 MW nuclear plant will generate about 30 metric tons of high-level radioactive solid packed waste per year. It

1701-550: Is caused by the emission of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide . These gases may be only mildly acidic themselves, yet when they react with the atmosphere, they create acidic compounds such as sulfurous acid , nitric acid and sulfuric acid which fall as rain, hence the term acid rain. In Europe and the US, stricter emission laws and decline in heavy industries have reduced the environmental hazards associated with this problem, leading to lower emissions after their peak in 1960s. In 2008,

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1782-428: Is converted to steam in the boiler; additional heating stages may be included to superheat the steam. The hot steam is sent through controlling valves to a turbine. As the steam expands and cools, its energy is transferred to the turbine blades which turn a generator. The spent steam has very low pressure and energy content; this water vapor is fed through a condenser, which removes heat from the steam. The condensed water

1863-403: Is delivered by highway truck , rail , barge , collier ship or coal slurry pipeline . Generating stations adjacent to a mine may receive coal by conveyor belt or massive diesel-electric -drive trucks . Coal is usually prepared for use by crushing the rough coal to pieces less than 2 inches (5 cm) in size. Gas is a very common fuel and has mostly replaced coal in countries where gas

1944-499: Is estimated that during 1982, US coal burning released 155 times as much uncontrolled radioactivity into the atmosphere as the Three Mile Island incident . The collective radioactivity resulting from all coal burning worldwide between 1937 and 2040 is estimated to be 2,700,000 curies or 0.101 EBq. During normal operation, the effective dose equivalent from coal plants is 100 times that from nuclear plants. Normal operation however,

2025-421: Is estimated to emit about 6 megatonnes of carbon dioxide each year. The results of similar estimations are mapped by organisations such as Global Energy Monitor , Carbon Tracker and ElectricityMap. Alternatively it may be possible to measure CO 2 emissions (perhaps indirectly via another gas) from satellite observations. Another problem related to coal combustion is the emission of particulates that have

2106-421: Is exported. In comparison, methane has not increased appreciably, and N 2 O by 0.25% y . Using different base years for measuring emissions has an effect on estimates of national contributions to global warming. This can be calculated by dividing a country's highest contribution to global warming starting from a particular base year, by that country's minimum contribution to global warming starting from

2187-646: Is referred to as a combined cycle power plant because it combines the Brayton cycle of the gas turbine with the Rankine cycle of the HRSG. The turbines are fueled either with natural gas or fuel oil. Diesel engine generator sets are often used for prime power in communities not connected to a widespread power grid. Emergency (standby) power systems may use reciprocating internal combustion engines operated by fuel oil or natural gas. Standby generators may serve as emergency power for

2268-633: Is responsible for around 73% of emissions. Deforestation and other changes in land use also emit carbon dioxide and methane . The largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions is agriculture , closely followed by gas venting and fugitive emissions from the fossil-fuel industry . The largest agricultural methane source is livestock . Agricultural soils emit nitrous oxide partly due to fertilizers . Similarly, fluorinated gases from refrigerants play an outsized role in total human emissions. The current CO 2 -equivalent emission rates averaging 6.6 tonnes per person per year, are well over twice

2349-464: Is still important as the fuel source for diesel engine power plants used especially in isolated communities not interconnected to a grid. Liquid fuels may also be used by gas turbine power plants, especially for peaking or emergency service. Of the three fossil fuel sources, oil has the advantages of easier transportation and handling than solid coal, and easier on-site storage than natural gas. Combined heat and power (CHP), also known as cogeneration ,

2430-502: Is still unknown as to which kinds of particulate matter pose the most harm, which makes it difficult to come up with adequate legislation for regulating particulate matter. There are several methods of helping to reduce the particulate matter emissions from coal-fired plants. Roughly 80% of the ash falls into an ash hopper, but the rest of the ash then gets carried into the atmosphere to become coal-fly ash. Methods of reducing these emissions of particulate matter include: The baghouse has

2511-459: Is the " nameplate capacity " or the maximum allowed output of the plant, " capacity factor " or "load factor" is a measure of the amount of power that a plant produces compared with the amount it would produce if operated at its rated capacity nonstop, heat rate is thermal energy in/electrical energy out, emission intensity (also called emission factor ) is the CO 2 emitted per unit of heat generated for

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2592-451: Is the dominant emitted greenhouse gas, while methane ( CH 4 ) emissions almost have the same short-term impact. Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and fluorinated gases (F-gases) play a lesser role in comparison. Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in CO 2 equivalents determined by their global warming potential (GWP), which depends on their lifetime in the atmosphere. Estimations largely depend on

2673-563: Is the first major source of greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, followed by aircraft and maritime. Waterborne transportation is still the least carbon-intensive mode of transportation on average, and it is an essential link in sustainable multimodal freight supply chains . Buildings, like industry, are directly responsible for around one-fifth of greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from space heating and hot water consumption. When combined with power consumption within buildings, this figure climbs to more than one-third. Within

2754-449: Is the main greenhouse gas resulting from human activities. It accounts for more than half of warming. Methane (CH 4 ) emissions have almost the same short-term impact. Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and fluorinated gases (F-gases) play a lesser role in comparison. Emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide in 2023 were all higher than ever before. Electricity generation , heat and transport are major emitters; overall energy

2835-536: Is the use of a thermal power station to provide both electric power and heat (the latter being used, for example, for district heating purposes). This technology is practiced not only for domestic heating (low temperature) but also for industrial process heat, which is often high temperature heat. Calculations show that Combined Heat and Power District Heating (CHPDH) is the cheapest method in reducing (but not eliminating) carbon emissions, if conventional fossil fuels remain to be burned. Thermal power plants are one of

2916-433: Is then pumped into the boiler to repeat the cycle. Emissions from the boiler include carbon dioxide, oxides of sulfur, and in the case of coal fly ash from non-combustible substances in the fuel. Waste heat from the condenser is transferred either to the air, or sometimes to a cooling pond, lake or river. One type of fossil fuel power plant uses a gas turbine in conjunction with a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). It

2997-665: Is very complex, and is affected by how carbon sinks are allocated between regions and the dynamics of the climate system . The graphic shows the logarithm of 1850–2019 fossil fuel CO 2 emissions; natural log on left, actual value of Gigatons per year on right. Although emissions increased during the 170-year period by about 3% per year overall, intervals of distinctly different growth rates (broken at 1913, 1945, and 1973) can be detected. The regression lines suggest that emissions can rapidly shift from one growth regime to another and then persist for long periods of time. The most recent drop in emissions growth – by almost 3 percentage points –

3078-465: Is what remains after the coal has been combusted, so it consists of the incombustible materials that are found in the coal. The size and chemical composition of these particles affects the impacts on human health. Currently coarse (diameter greater than 2.5 μm) and fine (diameter between 0.1 μm and 2.5 μm) particles are regulated, but ultrafine particles (diameter less than 0.1 μm) are currently unregulated, yet they pose many dangers. Unfortunately much

3159-462: The Carnot cycle limit for conversion of heat energy into useful work. Fuel cells do not have the same thermodynamic limits as they are not heat engines. The efficiency of a fossil fuel plant may be expressed as its heat rate , expressed in BTU/kilowatthour or megajoules/kilowatthour. In a steam turbine power plant, fuel is burned in a furnace and the hot gasses flow through a boiler. Water

3240-810: The European Environment Agency (EEA) documented fuel-dependent emission factors based on actual emissions from power plants in the European Union . Electricity generation using carbon-based fuels is responsible for a large fraction of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions worldwide and for 34% of U.S. man-made carbon dioxide emissions in 2010. In the U.S. 70% of electricity is generated by combustion of fossil fuels. Coal contains more carbon than oil or natural gas fossil fuels, resulting in greater volumes of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of electricity generated. In 2010, coal contributed about 81% of CO 2 emissions from generation and contributed about 45% of

3321-460: The fossil fuels contains carbon dioxide and water vapor, as well as pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NO x ), sulfur oxides (SO x ), and, for coal-fired plants, mercury , traces of other metals, and fly ash . Usually all of the carbon dioxide and some of the other pollution is discharged to the air. Solid waste ash from coal-fired boilers must also be removed. Fossil fueled power stations are major emitters of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ),

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3402-436: The greenhouse gas carbon dioxide within the atmosphere will "very likely" lead to higher average temperatures on a global scale ( global warming ). Concerns regarding the potential for such warming to change the global climate prompted IPCC recommendations calling for large cuts to CO 2 emissions worldwide. Emissions can be reduced with higher combustion temperatures, yielding more efficient production of electricity within

3483-511: The smoke by 90%. The plant was closed in 2020. On February 16, 2023, the chimney was demolished by explosives, making it the tallest freestanding structure ever demolished in a controlled manner. This article about a power station is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a Spanish building or structure is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Lignite fired power plant 2021 world electricity generation by source. Total generation

3564-520: The 2030 Paris Agreement increase of 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) over pre-industrial levels. While cities are sometimes considered to be disproportionate contributors to emissions, per-capita emissions tend to be lower for cities than the averages in their countries. A 2017 survey of corporations responsible for global emissions found that 100 companies were responsible for 71% of global direct and indirect emissions , and that state-owned companies were responsible for 59% of their emissions. China is, by

3645-495: The EU, the agricultural sector presently accounts for roughly 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions, with methane from livestock accounting for slightly more than half of 10%. Estimates of total CO 2 emissions do include biotic carbon emissions, mainly from deforestation. Including biotic emissions brings about the same controversy mentioned earlier regarding carbon sinks and land-use change. The actual calculation of net emissions

3726-522: The Earth can cool off. The major anthropogenic (human origin) sources of greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), nitrous oxide ( N 2 O ), methane and three groups of fluorinated gases ( sulfur hexafluoride ( SF 6 ), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs, sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6 ), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 )). Though the greenhouse effect is heavily driven by water vapor , human emissions of water vapor are not

3807-622: The US accounted for 28% of emissions; the EU, 23%; Japan, 4%; other OECD countries 5%; Russia, 11%; China, 9%; India, 3%; and the rest of the world, 18%. The European Commission adopted a set of legislative proposals targeting a reduction of the CO 2 emissions by 55% by 2030. Overall, developed countries accounted for 83.8% of industrial CO 2 emissions over this time period, and 67.8% of total CO 2 emissions. Developing countries accounted for industrial CO 2 emissions of 16.2% over this time period, and 32.2% of total CO 2 emissions. However, what becomes clear when we look at emissions across

3888-548: The US are gradually decreasing over time. Emissions in Russia and Ukraine have decreased fastest since 1990 due to economic restructuring in these countries. 2015 was the first year to see both total global economic growth and a reduction of carbon emissions. Annual per capita emissions in the industrialized countries are typically as much as ten times the average in developing countries. Due to China's fast economic development, its annual per capita emissions are quickly approaching

3969-518: The United States. Per unit of electric energy, brown coal emits nearly twice as much CO 2 as natural gas, and black coal emits somewhat less than brown. As of 2019 , carbon capture and storage of emissions is not economically viable for fossil fuel power stations, and keeping global warming below 1.5 °C is still possible but only if no more fossil fuel power plants are built and some existing fossil fuel power plants are shut down early, together with other measures such as reforestation . In

4050-419: The ability of oceans and land sinks to absorb these gases. Short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) including methane, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) , tropospheric ozone and black carbon persist in the atmosphere for a period ranging from days to 15 years; whereas carbon dioxide can remain in the atmosphere for millennia. Reducing SLCP emissions can cut the ongoing rate of global warming by almost half and reduce

4131-509: The case of Jupiter , or from its host star as in the case of the Earth . In the case of Earth, the Sun emits shortwave radiation ( sunlight ) that passes through greenhouse gases to heat the Earth's surface. In response, the Earth's surface emits longwave radiation that is mostly absorbed by greenhouse gases. The absorption of longwave radiation prevents it from reaching space, reducing the rate at which

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4212-667: The concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Emissions have grown rapidly since about 1950 with ongoing expansions in global population and economic activity following World War II. As of 2021, measured atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide were almost 50% higher than pre-industrial levels. The main sources of greenhouse gases due to human activity (also called carbon sources ) are: Global greenhouse gas emissions are about 50 Gt per year and for 2019 have been estimated at 57 Gt CO 2 eq including 5 Gt due to land use change. In 2019, approximately 34% [20 GtCO 2 -eq] of total net anthropogenic GHG emissions came from

4293-423: The cycle. As of 2019 the price of emitting CO 2 to the atmosphere is much lower than the cost of adding carbon capture and storage (CCS) to fossil fuel power stations, so owners have not done so. The CO 2 emissions from a fossil fuel power station can be estimated with the following formula: CO 2 emissions = capacity x capacity factor x heat rate x emission intensity x time where "capacity"

4374-413: The difference between a country's exports and imports. For many richer nations, the balance is negative because more goods are imported than they are exported. This result is mostly due to the fact that it is cheaper to produce goods outside of developed countries, leading developed countries to become increasingly dependent on services and not goods. A positive account balance would mean that more production

4455-510: The electricity generated in the United States. In 2000, the carbon intensity (CO 2 emissions) of U.S. coal thermal combustion was 2249 lbs/MWh (1,029 kg/MWh) while the carbon intensity of U.S. oil thermal generation was 1672 lb/MWh (758 kg/MWh or 211 kg/ GJ ) and the carbon intensity of U.S. natural gas thermal production was 1135 lb/MWh (515 kg/MWh or 143 kg/GJ). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) reports that increased quantities of

4536-440: The energy supply sector, 24% [14 GtCO 2 -eq] from industry, 22% [13 GtCO 2 -eq]from agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU), 15% [8.7 GtCO 2 -eq] from transport and 6% [3.3 GtCO 2 -eq] from buildings. Global carbon dioxide emissions by country in 2023: The current CO 2 -equivalent emission rates averaging 6.6 tonnes per person per year, are well over twice the estimated rate 2.3 tons required to stay within

4617-489: The entire life cycle from the production of a good or service along the supply chain to its final consumption. Carbon accounting (or greenhouse gas accounting) is a framework of methods to measure and track how much greenhouse gas an organization emits. The greenhouse effect occurs when greenhouse gases in a planet's atmosphere insulate the planet from losing heat to space, raising its surface temperature. Surface heating can happen from an internal heat source as in

4698-414: The estimated rate 2.3 tons required to stay within the 2030 Paris Agreement increase of 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) over pre-industrial levels. Annual per capita emissions in the industrialized countries are typically as much as ten times the average in developing countries. The carbon footprint (or greenhouse gas footprint ) serves as an indicator to compare the amount of greenhouse gases emitted over

4779-431: The first central stations used reciprocating steam engines to drive generators. As the size of the electrical load to be served grew, reciprocating units became too large and cumbersome to install economically. The steam turbine rapidly displaced all reciprocating engines in central station service. Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel on the planet, and widely used as the source of energy in thermal power stations and

4860-568: The fuel system maintenance requirements. Spark-ignition internal combustion engines operating on gasoline (petrol), propane , or LPG are commonly used as portable temporary power sources for construction work, emergency power, or recreational uses. Reciprocating external combustion engines such as the Stirling engine can be run on a variety of fossil fuels, as well as renewable fuels or industrial waste heat. Installations of Stirling engines for power production are relatively uncommon. Historically,

4941-460: The hot exhaust gases from the gas turbines are used to generate steam to power a steam turbine. The pollution levels of such plants are drastically lower than those of "classic" coal power plants. Particulate matter from coal-fired plants can be harmful and have negative health impacts. Studies have shown that exposure to particulate matter is related to an increase of respiratory and cardiac mortality. Particulate matter can irritate small airways in

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5022-824: The importing country, rather than the exporting, country. A substantial proportion of CO 2 emissions is traded internationally. The net effect of trade was to export emissions from China and other emerging markets to consumers in the US, Japan, and Western Europe. Emission intensity is a ratio between greenhouse gas emissions and another metric, e.g., gross domestic product (GDP) or energy use. The terms "carbon intensity" and " emissions intensity " are also sometimes used. Emission intensities may be calculated using market exchange rates (MER) or purchasing power parity (PPP). Calculations based on MER show large differences in intensities between developed and developing countries, whereas calculations based on PPP show smaller differences. Carbon accounting (or greenhouse gas accounting)

5103-468: The lapse of formerly declining trends in carbon intensity of both developing and developed nations. China was responsible for most of global growth in emissions during this period. Localised plummeting emissions associated with the collapse of the Soviet Union have been followed by slow emissions growth in this region due to more efficient energy use , made necessary by the increasing proportion of it that

5184-707: The levels of those in the Annex I group of the Kyoto Protocol (i.e., the developed countries excluding the US). Africa and South America are both fairly small emitters, accounting for 3-4% of global emissions each. Both have emissions almost equal to international aviation and shipping. There are several ways of measuring greenhouse gas emissions. Some variables that have been reported include: These measures are sometimes used by countries to assert various policy/ethical positions on climate change. The use of different measures leads to

5265-428: The lungs, which can lead to increased problems with asthma, chronic bronchitis, airway obstruction, and gas exchange. There are different types of particulate matter, depending on the chemical composition and size. The dominant form of particulate matter from coal-fired plants is coal fly ash , but secondary sulfate and nitrate also comprise a major portion of the particulate matter from coal-fired plants. Coal fly ash

5346-476: The main artificial sources of producing toxic gases and particulate matter . Fossil fuel power plants cause the emission of pollutants such as NO x , SO x , CO 2 , CO, PM, organic gases and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. World organizations and international agencies, like the IEA, are concerned about the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels , and coal in particular. The combustion of coal contributes

5427-496: The main international treaty on climate change (the UNFCCC ), countries report on emissions produced within their borders, e.g., the emissions produced from burning fossil fuels. Under a production-based accounting of emissions, embedded emissions on imported goods are attributed to the exporting, rather than the importing, country. Under a consumption-based accounting of emissions, embedded emissions on imported goods are attributed to

5508-456: The major source of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU . Greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector continue to rise, in contrast to power generation and nearly all other sectors. Since 1990, transportation emissions have increased by 30%. The transportation sector accounts for around 70% of these emissions. The majority of these emissions are caused by passenger vehicles and vans. Road travel

5589-488: The most to acid rain and air pollution , and has been connected with global warming . Due to the chemical composition of coal there are difficulties in removing impurities from the solid fuel prior to its combustion. Modern day coal power plants pollute less than older designs due to new " scrubber " technologies that filter the exhaust air in smoke stacks. However, emission levels of various pollutants are still on average several times greater than natural gas power plants and

5670-607: The particular wastestream in the plant. These include dry ash handling, closed-loop ash recycling, chemical precipitation, biological treatment (such as an activated sludge process), membrane systems, and evaporation-crystallization systems. In 2015 EPA published a regulation pursuant to the Clean Water Act that requires US power plants to use one or more of these technologies. Technological advancements in ion exchange membranes and electrodialysis systems has enabled high efficiency treatment of flue-gas desulfurization wastewater to meet

5751-530: The scrubbers transfer the captured pollutants to wastewater, which still requires treatment in order to avoid pollution of receiving water bodies. In these modern designs, pollution from coal-fired power plants comes from the emission of gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides , and sulfur dioxide into the air, as well a significant volume of wastewater which may contain lead , mercury , cadmium and chromium , as well as arsenic , selenium and nitrogen compounds ( nitrates and nitrites ). Acid rain

5832-607: The summit of the United Nations Environment Programme reached a legally binding accord to phase out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol . The use of CFC-12 (except some essential uses) has been phased out due to its ozone depleting properties. The phasing-out of less active HCFC-compounds will be completed in 2030. Starting about 1750, industrial activity powered by fossil fuels began to significantly increase

5913-531: The updated EPA discharge limits. Coal is a sedimentary rock formed primarily from accumulated plant matter, and it includes many inorganic minerals and elements which were deposited along with organic material during its formation. As the rest of the Earth's crust , coal also contains low levels of uranium , thorium , and other naturally occurring radioactive isotopes whose release into the environment leads to radioactive contamination . While these substances are present as very small trace impurities, enough coal

5994-452: The world today is that the countries with the highest emissions over history are not always the biggest emitters today. For example, in 2017, the UK accounted for just 1% of global emissions. In comparison, humans have emitted more greenhouse gases than the Chicxulub meteorite impact event which caused the extinction of the dinosaurs . Transport, together with electricity generation , is

6075-438: The world use fossil fuel, outnumbering nuclear , geothermal , biomass , or concentrated solar power plants. The second law of thermodynamics states that any closed-loop cycle can only convert a fraction of the heat produced during combustion into mechanical work . The rest of the heat, called waste heat , must be released into a cooler environment during the return portion of the cycle. The fraction of heat released into

6156-484: The world. Some fossil-fired power stations are designed for continuous operation as baseload power plants , while others are used as peaker plants . However, starting from the 2010s, in many countries plants designed for baseload supply are being operated as dispatchable generation to balance increasing generation by variable renewable energy . By-products of fossil fuel power plant operation must be considered in their design and operation. Flue gas from combustion of

6237-582: The year 1995). A country's emissions may also be reported as a proportion of global emissions for a particular year. Another measurement is of per capita emissions. This divides a country's total annual emissions by its mid-year population. Per capita emissions may be based on historical or annual emissions. One way of attributing greenhouse gas emissions is to measure the embedded emissions (also referred to as "embodied emissions") of goods that are being consumed. Emissions are usually measured according to production, rather than consumption. For example, in

6318-423: Was 28 petawatt-hours . A fossil fuel power station is a thermal power station which burns a fossil fuel , such as coal , oil , or natural gas , to produce electricity . Fossil fuel power stations have machinery to convert the heat energy of combustion into mechanical energy , which then operates an electrical generator . The prime mover may be a steam turbine , a gas turbine or, in small plants,

6399-406: Was at about the time of the 1970s energy crisis . Percent changes per year were estimated by piecewise linear regression on the log data and are shown on the plot; the data are from The Integrated Carbon Observation system. The sharp acceleration in CO 2 emissions since 2000 to more than a 3% increase per year (more than 2 ppm per year) from 1.1% per year during the 1990s is attributable to

6480-455: Was found in the late 20th century or early 21st century, such as the US and UK. Sometimes coal-fired steam plants are refitted to use natural gas to reduce net carbon dioxide emissions. Oil-fuelled plants may be converted to natural gas to lower operating cost. Heavy fuel oil was once a significant source of energy for electric power generation. After oil price increases of the 1970s, oil was displaced by coal and later natural gas. Distillate oil

6561-569: Was occurring within a country, so more operational factories would increase carbon emission levels. Emissions may also be measured across shorter time periods. Emissions changes may, for example, be measured against the base year of 1990. 1990 was used in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as the base year for emissions, and is also used in the Kyoto Protocol (some gases are also measured from

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