Coal and haze

The rapid increase in coal consumption is one of the important factors causing the increase of air pollution in China, but the underlying reason is that coal utilization technology is behind.

The haze has become increasingly fierce. The masses have called for the management of haze, and the calls for improving the environment have become louder and louder. The government has also shown determination and increased efforts to control air pollution.

In September 2013, the State Council issued the "Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution" and proposed general requirements, specific targets, and major measures for the control of atmospheric pollution.

Local governments quickly implemented the requirements of the State Council and began specific actions to control air pollution, which has won the hearts of the people. However, in some places, there has been a tendency to blindly reduce the use of coal and expand the use of natural gas.

Natural gas is the cleanest fossil energy source. If we can obtain enough natural gas resources from home and abroad, it is reasonable to reduce coal consumption, but we must not blindly put pressure on China’s energy resource endowments and the ability to obtain natural gas from domestic and foreign markets. Reduce coal consumption. China is a country with a shortage of coal, gas, and oil resources. Coal will continue to be China's major energy source for a long time to come. China's energy production companies are increasing their investment to find more conventional natural gas and unconventional. Natural gas resources, and increasing natural gas production, are also working to increase natural gas imports through land and waterways. However, increasing the proportion of natural gas in energy consumption can only be gradual and cannot be achieved overnight.

The rapid increase in coal consumption is one of the important factors that cause the increase of air pollution in China, but the fundamental reason lies in the backwardness of coal utilization technology. Advances in the use of coal at home and abroad have proven that the use of advanced coal cleaning and utilization technologies can significantly reduce the emission of pollutants into the atmosphere and even meet the same emission requirements as when using natural gas.

According to Xinhuanet.com, there was a major breakthrough in the “ultra-low emission of coal-fired unit flue gas” project implemented by the company. After the implementation of the project, the flue gas emissions from the coal-fired power plant have met the standards of the natural gas unit; the emission of dioxide* has not exceeded 35 mg. Cubic meters, nitrogen oxides less than 50 mg/m3, flue gas no more than 5 mg/m3, and coal gasification (000968, stocks) after purification of synthetic gas, then fuel or chemical raw materials, can be large The scope of reducing pollutant emissions basically meets the requirements for the use of natural gas.

Judging from the actual situation of the use of coal in China, the pollution caused by the use of coal by large-scale enterprises can be managed through the use of clean coal utilization technology.

But the difficulty lies in the decentralization of governance. Pollution caused by the use of coal, such as small coal-fired boilers, coal-fired coal smoke from residents, and the emission of 1*tons of coal-burned* dioxide, compared to the use of coal gasification to achieve the clean use of 500 tons of coal emitted* Even more.

At present, prevention of air pollution and restrictions on the use of coal often begin with centralized use of coal-using companies that can achieve clean utilization. The pollution caused by the treatment of coal used in China should be based on the principle of system engineering. First, it is necessary to reduce the use of scattered coal, switch to cleaner fuels such as natural gas, and second, require enterprises that focus on using coal to eliminate outdated coal use methods and adopt clean coal utilization technologies. .

In view of the above, it is recommended that the National Energy Administration consult with the Ministry of Environmental Protection to formulate and publish coal use policies that are in line with national conditions and can effectively improve the use of coal.

First of all, we must formulate strict and reasonable air pollution emission standards for coal use based on the successful clean coal use technologies at home and abroad, and increase the use of coal pollution treatment. Second, support enterprises to adopt advanced coal cleaning technology to implement technological transformation. Eliminating outdated coal utilization methods will not limit companies' use of coal as long as they meet new pollutant discharge standards. Finally, they will make full use of limited natural gas resources to speed up the adjustment of the fuel structure of scattered coal.