Reducing Mercury Emissions from Coal Combustion in the Energy Sector

This study conducted literature review on the mercury and chlorine content of coal in China, analyzed the fate of mercury in coal-fired power plants, evaluated the mercury removal efficiencies of PM, SO2 and NOx control devices and developed the mercury emission inventory for coal-fired power plants in China in 2005. Based on the analyses of 177 coal samples, the average mercury content of raw coal samples is 0.17 mg/kg, ranging from 0.01 mg/kg to 2.25 mg/kg. The average chlorine content of raw coal samples is 269 mg/kg, ranging from 30 mg/kg to 3289 mg/kg.