Emissions intensity of public conventional thermal power (electricity and heat) production

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Key message

The emissions intensity of SO₂, NO_x and CO₂ from electricity and heat production in public conventional thermal power plants has decreased in 2010 compared to 1992 by 97 % (SO₂), 44 % (NO_x) and 19 % (CO₂) respectively. Compared to the average of EU-27 intensity in 2010 was lower for SO₂ and higher for NO_x and CO₂.

Definition

The indicator shows the emissions intensity of SO₂, NO_x and CO₂ of public conventional thermal power (electricity and heat) production. The indicator is calculated as the ratio of emissions of individual substances to the output of electricity and heat.

CO₂ is the most important greenhouse gas that causes warmth to be trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere, thus causing the surface temperature to increase. This will have numerous direct (more common and longer lasting heat waves) and indirect (greater frequency of extreme meteorological events, rise in sea level, etc.) effects on the ecosystem and the human population. SO₂ contributes to the acidification of the atmosphere and emission of (secondary) dust particles. A chemical reaction converts NO_x into ground level ozone, while this gas, the same as SO₂, contributes to the acidification of the atmosphere and emission of (secondary) dust particles.

Public thermal power plants and cogeneration plants are companies whose main purpose is to produce electricity and heat. In electricity production, production at the generator is considered.

Charts

Figure EN05-1: Emissions intensity (CO₂, NO_x and SO₂) from electricity and heat production in 1992-2010

Sources:

Jožef Stefan Institute, 2012, Data: Slovenian Environment Agency, 2012; Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, 2012; Ministry responsible for Energy, 2012.

Show data

		1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
CO2 int	t/toe	11.233	10.705	10.445	10.767	10.164	10.217	10.197	9.94	10.361	10.833
SO2 int	t/toe	0.285	0.276	0.279	0.191	0.189	0.187	0.169	0.16	0.154	0.089
NOx int	t/toe	0.029	0.03	0.031	0.027	0.027	0.029	0.028	0.025	0.027	0.026
CO2 int	Index (1992 = 100)	100	95.299	92.983	95.855	90.485	90.952	90.778	88.489	92.237	96.44
SO2 int	Index (1992 = 100)	100	96.617	97.635	66.873	66.261	65.436	59.234	55.9	53.826	31.332
NOx int	Index (1992 = 100)	100	103.068	106.963	92.686	94.273	98.917	97.109	86.303	92.9	90.689
		2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
CO2 int	t/toe	10.437	10.017	10.142	9.975	9.753	10.021	9.452	9.286	8.807	8.809
SO2 int	t/toe	0.085	0.081	0.066	0.051	0.015	0.013	0.012	0.011	0.009	0.01
NOx int	t/toe	0.027	0.024	0.021	0.02	0.02	0.018	0.018	0.016	0.016	0.016
CO2 int	Index (1992 = 100)	92.914	89.174	90.292	88.799	86.823	89.213	84.148	82.665	78.402	78.421
SO2 int	Index (1992 = 100)	29.883	28.548	23.181	17.715	5.118	4.705	4.149	3.864	3.197	3.51
NOx int	Index (1992 = 100)	93.005	83.36	71.347	69.61	68.916	62.283	61.855	56.886	56.627	56.292
		2012
CO2 int	t/toe	9.019
SO2 int	t/toe	0.01
NOx int	t/toe	0.016
CO2 int	Index (1992 = 100)	80.293
SO2 int	Index (1992 = 100)	3.457
NOx int	Index (1992 = 100)	54.068

Figure EN05-2: Comparison of emissions intensity (CO₂, SO₂ and NO_x) between Slovenia and the EU-27 (EU-27 = 100 %) for the years 2000 and 2010

Sources:

Jožef Stefan Institute, 2012, Data: Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, 2012; Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, 2012; ETC-ACC; Eurostat, 2012.

Show data

		2000	2012
CO2 int	%	127.4	130.8
SO2 int	%	408	77.6
NOx int	%	200	172.7
CO2 int - Slovenia	t/toe	10.4	9.2
SO2 int - Slovenia	t/toe	0.2	0
NOx int - Slovenia	t/toe	0	0
CO2 int - EU-28	t/toe	8.1	7
SO2 int - EU-28	t/toe	0	0
NOx int - EU-28	t/toe	0	0

Goals

There are no specific targets for reducing the emissions intensity of CO₂, NO_x and SO₂ but there are objectives for such reductions determined on the state level:
- an 8 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the 2008–2012 period and a 20 % or 30 % reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2020 from the base year (1986);
- reduction of NO_x emissions to target values of 45 thousand tonnes in 2010 and additional reduction of 39% until 2020 compared to 2005;
- reduction of SO₂ emissions to target values of 27 thousand tonnes in 2010 and additional reduction of 63% until 2020 compared to 2005.

Methodology

Data for Slovenia

Objectives summarised by: Resolucija o Nacionalnem programu varstva okolja 2005-2012, (Resolution on the National Environmental Action Plan 2005–2012, Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 2/06) and the proposal of the climate and energy package, Protocol to the 1979 Convention on long-range transboundary air pollution to abate acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone and Directive 2001/81/EC of 23 October 2001 on national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants (the NEC directive).

Source database or source: Official data on SO₂, NO_x, CO₂ (numerator) and greenhouse gas emissions were used to calculate the indicator (see EN01) as well as data on electricity production in public thermal power plants and cogeneration plants – at the generator (1992–1995 – the Jožef Stefan Institute (the method of calculating the used energy balances is presented in detail in the description of EN10 Final Energy Consumption by Sector indicator), 1996 onwards – the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia) and data on thermal power (electricity and heat) production (1992–1999 – the Jožef Stefan Institute, the year 2000 onwards – the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia) (denominator).

Data administrator: The Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, the Environment Office, Air Quality Sector – Bojan Rode (Air Pollutants) and Tajda Mekinda Majaron (GHG); the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia – Mojca Suvorov, Jože Zalar.

Date of acquisition for this indicator: 8 December 2009.

Methodology and frequency of data collection: Data are prepared on an annual basis and on the basis of data on activities (the use of fuels, industrial manufacturing, etc.), calorific value of fuels and emission factors. The recommended methodology has been prepared by the UNECE/EMEP task force on emissions inventories and projections (EMEP/CORINAIR Emission Inventory Guidebook – 2006).

Data on electricity and heat production are prepared (collected) on an annual basis and published on the website of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia and in printed form. Data have also been sent to Eurostat. The EUROSTAT/IEA methodology was used in preparing the data. Two different sources of information were used – before 1996, the source of information was the filled in EUROSTAT questionnaire and since 1996, the official statistics of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia.

The legislation influencing the emissions intensity is as follows: Decree on Emission Limit Values Discharged into the Atmosphere from Large Combustion Plants (Limit Values of SO₂, NO_x), the Environment Protection Act in relation to the Decree on Activities and Installations Causing Large-Scale Environmental Pollution (Uredba o vrsti dejavnosti in naprav, ki lahko povzročajo onesnaževanje okolja večjega obsega, Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 97/04) by implementing environmental permits (facilitating energy efficient technologies). A fundamental instrument for the intensity of CO₂ emissions is the greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme implemented by the Environment Protection Act (Zakon o varstvu okolja, Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no. 41/04).

Data processing methodology: The indicator is calculated as the ratio of emissions (SO₂, NO_x and CO₂) to total electricity and heat output of public thermal power plants and cogeneration plants (EUROSTAT code 101121). The used emissions are those of the electricity and heat production sector (CRF 1.A.1.a, NFR 1.A.1.a).
Annual growth is occasionally shown in percentage points. The percentage point is a unit used in comparing different percentages. In percentage points, we are dealing with an absolute comparison calculated using the following formula: (n_{this year}) – (n_{last year}) = 16 % – 15 % = 1 pp (e.g. if there was a 15 % growth last year and a 16 % growth this year, then this year growth is 1 percentage point higher). The difference in growth can also be expressed by relative comparison using the following formula: [(n_{this year} / n_{last year}) * 100] – 100 = [(16 % / 15 %) * 100] – 100 = 6.7 %. In this case, growth is expressed in percent.

Geographical coverage: The EU-15 countries are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Information concerning data quality:
- Advantages and disadvantages of the indicator:
Advantage: Officially reported data that are calculated using internationally confirmed methods have been used to calculate the indicator. By improving the methodology of calculating NO_x emission records using actual emission factors and not default factors and moving fuel consumption by auto-producers to the industry sector, the calculated emissions are closer to the measured emissions included in the REMIS emission register of stationary sources of pollution.
- Relevance, accuracy, robustness, uncertainty:
Reliability of the indicator (archival data): Reliable
Uncertainty of the indicator (scenarios/projections): scenarios and projections are not available.
- Overall assessment (1 = no major comments, 2 = data to be considered with reservation):
Relevance: 1
Accuracy: 1
Completeness over time: 2
Completeness over space: 1.