List of least carbon efficient power stations
This is a list of least carbon efficient power stations in selected countries. Lists were created by the WWF and lists the most polluting power stations in terms of the level of carbon dioxide produced per unit of electricity generated. In general lignite burning coal-fired power stations with subcritical boilers (in which bubbles form in contrast to the newer supercritical steam generator) emit the most.[1][2] The Chinese national carbon trading scheme may follow the European Union Emission Trading Scheme in making such power stations uneconomic to run.[3][4] However some companies such as NLC India Limited and Electricity Generation Company (Turkey) generate in countries without a carbon price. Lignite power stations built or retrofitted before 1995 often also emit local air pollution.[5][6][7][2] In early 2021 the EU carbon price rose above 50 euros per tonne, causing many of the European plants listed below to become unprofitable,[8] and close down.[9] However, because many countries outside Europe and the USA do not publish plant level emissions data it was difficult to make up to date lists. Public information from space-based measurements of carbon dioxide by Climate Trace is expected to quantify CO2 from individual large plants before the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference,[10] thus enabling large polluters to be identified.[11]
2015 report - companies[]
In 2015 the Stranded Assets Programme at the University of Oxford’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment published Stranded Assets and Subcritical Coal report analyzing inter alia carbon intensity of subcritical coal-fired power stations of 100 largest companies having these power stations.[12]
CO2 intensity (kg/kWh) |
Company | Country | Number of SCPS |
---|---|---|---|
1.447 | NLC India Limited | ![]() |
2 |
1.342 | Madhya Pradesh Power Generation Company Limited | ![]() |
3 |
1.279 | GDF Suez | ![]() |
10 |
1.277 | Kazakhmys | ![]() |
4 |
1.269 | West Bengal Power Development Corporation | ![]() |
5 |
1.253 | OGK-2 | ![]() |
4 |
1.243 | Maharashtra State Power Generation Company | ![]() |
7 |
1.240 | Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand | ![]() |
4 |
1.226 | Termoelectrica | ![]() |
17 |
1.222 | RAO UES | ![]() |
23 |
1.220 | ČEZ Group | ![]() |
13 |
2005 report - power station from 30 industrialised countries[]
CO2 intensity (kg/kWh) |
Power station | Country | Note |
---|---|---|---|
1.58 | Hazelwood Power Station, Victoria | ![]() |
closed in 2017 |
1.56 | Edwardsport IGCC, Edwardsport, Indiana | ![]() |
closed in 2012 |
1.27 | Frimmersdorf power plant, Grevenbroich | ![]() |
closed in 2017 |
1.25 | HR Milner Generating Station, Grande Cache, Alberta, | ![]() |
converted to gas in 2020 |
1.18 | , Río Bravo | ![]() |
|
1.09 | Bełchatów Power Station, Bełchatów | ![]() |
|
1.07 | Prunéřov Power Station, Kadaň | ![]() |
partially closed |
1.02 | Niihama | ,![]() |
2007 list - Europe[]
CO2 intensity (kg/kWh) | Power Station, Location | Country | Fuel | Emissions (MtCO2) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1.350 | Agios Dimitrios Power Station, Agios Dimitrios, Kozani | ![]() |
Lignite | 12.4 |
1.250 | , | ![]() |
Lignite | 8.8 |
1.200 | Niederaussem Power Station, Niederaussem | ![]() |
Lignite | 27.4 |
1.200 | Jänschwalde Power Station, Jänschwalde | ![]() |
Lignite | 23.7 |
1.187 | Frimmersdorf Power Station, Grevenbroich | ![]() |
Lignite | 19.3 |
1.180 | , Eschweiler | ![]() |
Lignite | 18.8 |
1.150 | Neurath Power Station, Grevenbroich | ![]() |
Lignite | 17.9 |
1.150 | Turów Power Station, Bogatynia | ![]() |
Lignite | 13.0 |
1.150 | , Ferrol | ![]() |
Lignite | 9.1 |
1.100 | Boxberg Power Station, Boxberg, Saxony | ![]() |
Lignite | 15.5 |
1.090 | Bełchatów Power Station, Bełchatów | ![]() |
Lignite | 30.1 |
1.070 | Prunéřov Power Station, Prunéřov | ![]() |
Lignite | 8.9 |
1.050 | , Sines | ![]() |
Hard Coal | 8.7 |
1.000 | Schwarze Pumpe power station, Spremberg | ![]() |
Lignite | 12.2 |
2018 - largest emitters[]
The table lists the largest emitters, regardless of their carbon efficiency.[15]
CO2 intensity (kg/kWh) | Power Station | Country | 2018 emissions (MtCO2) |
---|---|---|---|
1.8 | Bełchatów | ![]() |
38 |
1.5 | Vindhyachal | ![]() |
34 |
1.5 | Dangjin | ![]() |
34 |
1.5 | Taean | ![]() |
31 |
1.3 | Taichung | ![]() |
30 |
1.5 | Tuoketuo | ![]() |
30 |
1.5 | Niederaussem | ![]() |
27 |
1.4 | Sasan | ![]() |
27 |
1.5 | Yonghungdo | ![]() |
27 |
1.4 | Hekinan | ![]() |
27 |
Other[]
At over 1.34 tCO2-e/MWh Yallourn is the most carbon intense in Australia.[16]
In the very unlikely event of being built, the proposed Afşin-Elbistan C power station would become the least carbon efficient coal-fired power station.
External links[]
Sources[]
- Boom and Bust 2021: Tracking The Global Coal Plant Pipeline (Report). Global Energy Monitor. 2021-04-05.
References[]
- ^ Kittel, Martin; Goeke, Leonard; Kemfert, Claudia; Oei, Pao-Yu; von Hirschhausen, Christian (2020-04-20). "Scenarios for Coal-Exit in Germany—A Model-Based Analysis and Implications in the European Context". Energies. 13 (8): 2041. doi:10.3390/en13082041. ISSN 1996-1073.
- ^ a b Witkop, Nathan (11 May 2020). "Old German lignite units have entered death zone". Montel News. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Slater, Huw (5 May 2020). "Despite headwinds, China prepares for world's largest carbon market". The Interpreter. The Lowy Institute. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ International Carbon Action Partnership (5 May 2021). "China National ETS". Retrieved 8 May 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Tuzla 7 lignite power plant, Bosnia and Herzegovina". Bankwatch. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- ^ Balkan Green Energy News (2019-11-04). "KEK to get EUR 76 million grant to cut pollution from Kosovo B power plant". Balkan Green Energy News. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Mohan, Vishwa. "CPCB threatens to shut down 14 coal-fired power plants which failed to limit emissions". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- ^ "EU carbon price breaches record €50 per tonne mark". www.businessgreen.com. 2021-05-04. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
- ^ "The new EU climate target could phase out coal power in Europe as early as 2030". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
- ^ "Transcript: The Path Forward: Al Gore on Climate and the Economy". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
- ^ "A tidal wave of new carbon emissions data soon will be upon us | Greenbiz". www.greenbiz.com. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
- ^ Caldecott, Ben; Dericks, Gerard; Mitchell, James (March 2015). Stranded Assets and Subcritical Coal: The Risk to Companies and Investors (PDF). ISBN 978-0-9927618-1-3.
- ^ WWF Australia: Hazelwood tops international list of dirty power stations, Dated: 13 Jul 2005
- ^ Dirty Thirty, May 2007
- ^ Grant, Don; Zelinka, David; Mitova, Stefania (2021). "Reducing CO2 emissions by targeting the world's hyper-polluting power plants". Environmental Research Letters. 16 (9): 094022. Bibcode:2021ERL....16i4022G. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/ac13f1. ISSN 1748-9326.
- ^ "Yallourn, Australia's dirtiest power". Environment Victoria. 2019-05-21. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
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