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List of least carbon efficient power stations
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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. The Chinese national carbon trading scheme may follow the European Union Emission Trading Scheme in making such power stations uneconomic to run. 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. In early 2021 the EU carbon price rose above 50 euros per tonne, causing many of the European plants listed below to become unprofitable, and close down. However, because many countries outside Europe and the USA do not publish plant level emissions data it was difficult to make up to date lists.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, thus enabling large polluters to be identified.

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.13

CO2 intensity(kg/kWh)CompanyCountryNumber of SCPS
1.447NLC India Limited India2
1.342Madhya Pradesh Power Generation Company Limited India3
1.279GDF Suez France10
1.277Kazakhmys Kazakhstan4
1.269West Bengal Power Development Corporation India5
1.253OGK-2 Russia4
1.243Maharashtra State Power Generation Company India7
1.240Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand Thailand4
1.226Termoelectrica Romania17
1.222RAO UES Russia23
1.220ČEZ Group Czech Republic13

2005 report - power station from 30 industrialised countries

14

CO2 intensity(kg/kWh)Power stationCountryNote
1.58Hazelwood Power Station, Victoria Australiaclosed in 2017
1.56Edwardsport IGCC, Edwardsport, Indiana United Statesclosed in 2012
1.27Frimmersdorf power plant, Grevenbroich Germanyclosed in 2017
1.25HR Milner Generating Station, Grande Cache, Alberta, Canadaconverted to gas in 2020
1.18Emilio Portes Gil, Río Bravo Mexico
1.09Bełchatów Power Station, Bełchatów Poland
1.07Prunéřov Power Station, Kadaň Czech Republicpartially closed
1.02Niihamanishi [ja], Niihama Japan

2007 list - Europe

15

CO2 intensity (kg/kWh)Power Station, LocationCountryFuelEmissions (MtCO2)
1.350Agios Dimitrios Power Station, Agios Dimitrios, Kozani GreeceLignite12.4
1.250Kardia Power Station, Kardia Kozanis GreeceLignite8.8
1.200Niederaussem Power Station, Niederaussem GermanyLignite27.4
1.200Jänschwalde Power Station, Jänschwalde GermanyLignite23.7
1.187Frimmersdorf Power Station, Grevenbroich GermanyLignite19.3
1.180Weisweiler Power Station, Eschweiler GermanyLignite18.8
1.150Neurath Power Station, Grevenbroich GermanyLignite17.9
1.150Turów Power Station, Bogatynia PolandLignite13.0
1.150As Pontes Power Station, Ferrol SpainLignite9.1
1.100Boxberg Power Station, Boxberg, Saxony GermanyLignite15.5
1.090Bełchatów Power Station, Bełchatów PolandLignite30.1
1.070Prunéřov Power Station, Prunéřov Czech RepublicLignite8.9
1.050Sines Power Station, Sines PortugalHard Coal8.7
1.000Schwarze Pumpe power station, Spremberg GermanyLignite12.2

2018 - largest emitters

The table lists the largest emitters, regardless of their carbon efficiency.16

CO2 intensity (kg/kWh)Power StationCountry2018 emissions (MtCO2)
1.8Bełchatów Poland38
1.5Vindhyachal India34
1.5Dangjin South Korea34
1.5Taean South Korea31
1.3Taichung Taiwan30
1.5Tuoketuo China30
1.5Niederaussem Germany27
1.4Sasan India27
1.5Yonghungdo South Korea27
1.4Hekinan Japan27

Other

At over 1.34 tCO2-e/MWh Yallourn is the most carbon intense in Australia.17

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.

Sources

References

  1. 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. hdl:10419/222434. ISSN 1996-1073. https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fen13082041 ↩

  2. Witkop, Nathan (11 May 2020). "Old German lignite units have entered death zone". Montel News. Retrieved 2020-06-10. http://www.montelnews.com/en/story/old-german-lignite-units-have-entered-death-zone-/1113616 ↩

  3. Slater, Huw (5 May 2020). "Despite headwinds, China prepares for world's largest carbon market". The Interpreter. The Lowy Institute. Retrieved 2020-06-10. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/despite-headwinds-china-prepares-world-s-largest-carbon-market ↩

  4. International Carbon Action Partnership (5 May 2021). "China National ETS". Retrieved 8 May 2021. https://icapcarbonaction.com/en/?option=com_etsmap&task=export&format=pdf&layout=list&systems%5B%5D=55 ↩

  5. "Tuzla 7 lignite power plant, Bosnia and Herzegovina". Bankwatch. Retrieved 2020-06-10. https://bankwatch.org/project/tuzla-7-lignite-power-plant-bosnia-and-herzegovina-2 ↩

  6. 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. https://balkangreenenergynews.com/kek-to-get-eur-76-million-grant-to-cut-pollution-from-kosovo-b-power-plant/ ↩

  7. Mohan, Vishwa. "CPCB threatens to shut down 14 coal-fired power plants which failed to limit emissions". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2020-06-10. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/environment/pollution/cpcb-threatens-to-shut-down-14-coal-fired-power-plants-which-failed-to-limit-emissions/articleshow/73968247.cms?from=mdr ↩

  8. Witkop, Nathan (11 May 2020). "Old German lignite units have entered death zone". Montel News. Retrieved 2020-06-10. http://www.montelnews.com/en/story/old-german-lignite-units-have-entered-death-zone-/1113616 ↩

  9. "EU carbon price breaches record €50 per tonne mark". www.businessgreen.com. 2021-05-04. Retrieved 2021-05-09. https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4030740/eu-carbon-price-breaches-record-eur-tonne-mark ↩

  10. "The new EU climate target could phase out coal power in Europe as early as 2030". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2021-05-09. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/04/210427094822.htm ↩

  11. "Transcript: The Path Forward: Al Gore on Climate and the Economy". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-05-06. https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live/2021/04/22/transcript-path-forward-al-gore-climate-economy/ ↩

  12. "A tidal wave of new carbon emissions data soon will be upon us | Greenbiz". www.greenbiz.com. Retrieved 2021-05-09. https://www.greenbiz.com/article/tidal-wave-new-carbon-emissions-data-soon-will-be-upon-us ↩

  13. 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. 978-0-9927618-1-3 ↩

  14. WWF Australia: Hazelwood tops international list of dirty power stations, Dated: 13 Jul 2005 http://www.wwf.org.au/News_and_information/News_room/View_news/223 ↩

  15. Dirty Thirty, May 2007 http://assets.panda.org/downloads/european_dirty_thirty_may_2007.pdf ↩

  16. 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. https://doi.org/10.1088%2F1748-9326%2Fac13f1 ↩

  17. "Yallourn, Australia's dirtiest power". Environment Victoria. 2019-05-21. Retrieved 2020-06-12. https://environmentvictoria.org.au/our-campaigns/safe-climate/yallourn-australias-dirtiest-power/ ↩