CO2 emissions in calcium carbide industry: An analysis of China's mitigation potential

China's calcium carbide output has dominated the global market for several years, driven by the demand for PVC (polyvinyl chloride), a fundamental polymer material and also the primary downstream product of calcium carbide in China. The fast growth of this energy-intensive industry leads to an inevitable increase in CO2 emissions. However, there is a large reduction potential with process improvement in this industry which is currently characterized by widespread outdated facilities. In this study, we attempt to assess the reduction potential of CO2 emissions in China's calcium carbide production, based on the analysis of CO2 emission patterns and estimation of the emission amount. Three scenarios regarding process improvement are employed to conduct this assessment. The results imply that the cumulative CO2 abatement in the Current Policy Scenario and in the Strengthened Policy Scenario from 2008 to 2020, compared with the Baseline Scenario, are 89.0 and 107.6 million t, respectively. The specific measures and policy implications to achieve this potential are also discussed in the article.

► We study the patterns and amount of CO2 emission in China's calcium carbide industry.
► Reduction potential is assessed under three scenarios regarding process improvement.
► Cumulative CO2 abatement can achieve up to 20.5% through process improvement.
► Policy measures to disseminate key technologies have big impact on CO2 mitigation.