Regional CO2 accounting and market layout of incinerator fly ash management in China

Yunqi Zhai; Fang Liu; Yifan Hu; Lei Wang; Xuebin Lu; Zhihao Yu; Hanqiao Liu; Rui Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163336

Regional CO₂ accounting and market layout of incinerator fly ash management in China

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Jul 10:881:163336. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163336. Epub 2023 Apr 7.

Authors

Yunqi Zhai¹, Fang Liu², Yifan Hu³, Lei Wang⁴, Xuebin Lu⁵, Zhihao Yu⁶, Hanqiao Liu⁷, Rui Zhang⁸

Affiliations

¹ School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin 300384, China.
² Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province (KLaCER), School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China; College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China. Electronic address: liufang@westlake.edu.cn.
³ Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Coastal Environment and Resources of Zhejiang Province (KLaCER), School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China.
⁵ School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China; School of Science, Tibet University, Lhasa 850000, China.
⁶ School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China.
⁷ School of Energy and Safety Engineering, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin 300384, China.
⁸ School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin 300384, China. Electronic address: rzhang@tcu.edu.cn.

PMID: 37030374
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163336

Abstract

The reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from solid waste incinerator fly ash (IFA) management attracts growing interests since China's zero-waste plan and carbon peak/neutral goals. Herein, provincial GHG emissions from four demonstrated IFA reutilization technologies in China were estimated after analyzing IFA spatial-temporal distribution. Results indicate that technologies transition (landfilling-to-reutilization) could reduce GHG except for glassy slag production. IFA to cement option could potentially realize negative GHG emissions. Spatial GHG variation drivers in IFA management were recognized as provincial-different IFA composition and power emission factors. IFA management options were recommended provincially after weighting local development goals related to GHG reduction and economic benefits. Baseline scenario analysis shows that China's IFA industry would reach carbon peak in 2025 (5.02 Mt). 2030's GHG reduction potential (6.12 Mt) is equivalent to that of absorbed CO₂ by 340 million trees annually. Overall, this research could contribute to illustrating future market layout complying with carbon peaking.

Keywords: Carbon peak; GHG emission; Incinerator fly ash; Resource utilization; Spatial-temporal analysis.