Driving factors of NOX emission reduction in China's power industry: based on LMDI decomposition model

Under the policy background of joint prevention and control of global greenhouse gas emission reduction and regional air pollutants, the power industry, as an important target industry of energy conservation and emission reduction policies, has become an effective choice to release dual pressures. In this paper, the bottom-up emission factor method was used to measure the emission of CO2 and NOX from 2011 to 2019. Then, the contributions of six factors to NOX emission reduction in China's power industry were identified using the Kaya identity and logarithmic mean divisia index (LMDI) decomposition methods. The research results show that (1) there is a significant synergistic emission reduction effect between CO2 emission reduction and NOX emission reduction; (2) the factor that inhibits the growth of NOX emissions reduction in the power industry is economic development factor; and (3) the main factors that promote the reduction of NOX emission from the power industry are synergy effect, energy intensity, power generation intensity, and power production structure factors. Several suggestions are proposed, which are the power industry should adjust its structure, improve energy intensity, focus on applying low-nitrogen combustion technology, and improve the air pollutant emission information disclosure system to reduce NOX emissions.

Automated summary

This paper uses the bottom-up emission factor method to measure CO2 and NOX emissions from China's power industry from 2011 to 2019. Using the Kaya identity and logarithmic mean divisia index (LMDI) decomposition methods, the contributions of six factors to NOX emission reduction in the power industry are identified. The research findings suggest significant synergistic effects between CO2 and NOX emission reduction, with economic development being the inhibiting factor for NOX emissions reduction in the power industry. The main factors promoting NOX emission reduction include synergy effects, energy intensity, power generation intensity, and power production structure factors. The paper proposes several suggestions for reducing NOX emissions, such as adjusting the power industry's structure, improving energy intensity, focusing on low-nitrogen combustion technology, and enhancing air pollutant emission information disclosure systems.