Decarbonizing the Coal-Fired Power Sector in China via Carbon Capture, Geological Utilization, and Storage Technology

Carbon capture, utilization,
and storage (CCUS) is a critical technology
to realize carbon neutrality target in the Chinese coal-fired power
sector, which emitted 3.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2017.
However, CCUS technology is often viewed as an “alternative
technology” option owing to common perceptions of relatively
high cost and potential risks. This study indicates that coal power
CCUS is likely to be a cost-effective and key technology for helping
China reach the ambitious goal of carbon neutrality. This comprehensive,
national-scale assessment of CCUS deployment on coal power in China
is based on a unique bottom-up approach that includes site selection,
coal plant screening, techno-economic analysis, and carbon dioxide
source-sink matching. Analysis indicates that, based on 2017 costs
and assumptions, more than 70% of coal power plants in this study
could be cost-competitive with natural gas-fired power plants, and
22–58% would be cost-competitive with onshore wind generation.
These insights suggest that the commercialization of CCUS technology
in the coal power sector in China is a viable route toward decarbonizing
the economy if a grid price policy similar to that of renewables and
natural gas power is applied.