REDUCTION OF CO₂ EMISSIONS FROM THERMAL POWER GENERATION: ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES

Abstract

This study assesses CO₂ emissions from thermal power generation and evaluates mitigation strategies for reducing the carbon intensity of electricity production. As climate change mitigation becomes an increasingly urgent global priority, the decarbonization of thermal power–which accounts for approximately 40% of global energy-related CO₂ emissions–represents a critical challenge for the energy sector. Using emission factor methodology and lifecycle analysis, this research quantifies CO₂ emissions across different fuel types and plant configurations, and evaluates five mitigation pathways: efficiency improvement, fuel switching from coal to natural gas, co-firing with biomass, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and renewable energy integration. Results demonstrate that fuel switching from coal to gas reduces emission intensity by 40–50%, efficiency improvements yield 8–15% emission reductions, and biomass co-firing at 10–20% substitution rates reduces net CO₂ by 7–16%. Carbon capture technologies offer the highest reduction potential (85–95%) but at substantially higher costs. The findings provide a comparative framework for selecting emission reduction strategies based on technical feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and local resource availability