Comprehensive analysis of carbon emission reduction technologies (CRTs) in China's coal-fired power sector: A bottom-up approach

Carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction technologies (CRTs) in the coal-fired power sector play an imperative role in the mitigation of environmental challenges and reducing CO2 emissions to help achieve the 2 °C target. However, a compelling necessity persists for a unified framework that can effectively and accurately estimate the costs and potentials associated with CRTs, arising from the diversity of technologies and unit types. Therefore, this study employs a bottom-up approach to analyze the costs and potential of 25 advanced CRTs in the coal-fired power sector, excluding CO2 capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), across 19 types of coal-fired power units. This analysis amalgamates the CO2 reduction supply curve (CRSC) approach with levelized cost of CO2 reduction (LCOC) and a broken-even analysis which could reflect the sector's average carbon reduction cost. The outcomes reveal the following key insights: (1) These technologies collectively harbor a substantial CO2 conservation potential amounting to 925.61 Mt CO2, with a broken-even price of CNY 410.1/tCO2. This reduction could potentially lower 20%–25 % of CO2 emissions in China's power system in 2022, highlighting the crucial role of CRTs in achieving a low-carbon transition and national climate targets; (2)Steam turbine flow path retrofit (T8) not only offers a relatively high CO2 reduction potential (>60 Mt CO2), but also features a low cost (CNY 0.85/MWh). Prioritizing the development of this technology can significantly accelerate the low-carbon transition of coal power; (3) Carbon price have a paramount influence on the cost-effectiveness of CRTs and driving their adoption. •This study provides an assessment on costs and CO2 emission reduction potential of carbon reduction technologies (CRTs).•The dataset encompassing 25 CRTs has been meticulously established for selecting more cost-effective CRTs.•CO2 emission reduction supply curves specific to offer valuable insights into the potential impact of CRTs in China.