Role of an Ultra-Large Coal-Fired Power Plant in PM<sub>2.5</sub> Pollution in Taiwan
Taichung Power Plant (TPP) is Taiwan’s largest coal-fired power plant and is considered a major source of air pollution. During periods of deteriorating air quality, it is often required to reduce the load to reduce emissions. However, frequent power load shedding not only requires cost but also req...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/15/1/56 |
| _version_ | 1797344664391516160 |
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| author | Chang-You Tsai Tu-Fu Chen Ken-Hui Chang |
| author_facet | Chang-You Tsai Tu-Fu Chen Ken-Hui Chang |
| author_sort | Chang-You Tsai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Taichung Power Plant (TPP) is Taiwan’s largest coal-fired power plant and is considered a major source of air pollution. During periods of deteriorating air quality, it is often required to reduce the load to reduce emissions. However, frequent power load shedding not only requires cost but also requires safety considerations. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the role that thermal power plant emissions play in air pollution in Taiwan. This study employed the Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system with the brute-force method to analyze the PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentration contributed by TPP. The results showed that among the various air basins in Taiwan, the Yun-Chi-Nan air basin (YCNAB), located to the south of TPP, was most severely affected by TPP’s emissions, with an annual average affected concentration of 1.0 µg m<sup>−3</sup> (3.3%). However, when serious PM<sub>2.5</sub> pollution events (daily concentration > 70 µg/m<sup>3</sup>) occurred due to low wind speeds, the Central Taiwan air basin (CTAB), where TPP is located, became the area most severely affected by TPP’s emissions. The low wind speed was caused by the interaction between the easterly wind field around Taiwan and Taiwan’s north–south mountain ranges. When this happens, TPP’s emissions would have a greater impact on the PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentration at nearby stations in the CTAB and YCNAB, up to about 11%. Overall, on pollution days caused by low wind speeds, the largest TPP load reduction (40%) still had a certain effect as an emergency measure to improve the high PM<sub>2.5</sub> pollution in central and southern Taiwan. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T11:06:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1ae5b59c50214fbf9b01a719870fef41 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T11:06:01Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-1ae5b59c50214fbf9b01a719870fef412024-01-26T15:01:57ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332023-12-011515610.3390/atmos15010056Role of an Ultra-Large Coal-Fired Power Plant in PM<sub>2.5</sub> Pollution in TaiwanChang-You Tsai0Tu-Fu Chen1Ken-Hui Chang2Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Yunlin 64002, TaiwanDepartment of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Yunlin 64002, TaiwanDepartment of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Yunlin 64002, TaiwanTaichung Power Plant (TPP) is Taiwan’s largest coal-fired power plant and is considered a major source of air pollution. During periods of deteriorating air quality, it is often required to reduce the load to reduce emissions. However, frequent power load shedding not only requires cost but also requires safety considerations. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the role that thermal power plant emissions play in air pollution in Taiwan. This study employed the Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system with the brute-force method to analyze the PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentration contributed by TPP. The results showed that among the various air basins in Taiwan, the Yun-Chi-Nan air basin (YCNAB), located to the south of TPP, was most severely affected by TPP’s emissions, with an annual average affected concentration of 1.0 µg m<sup>−3</sup> (3.3%). However, when serious PM<sub>2.5</sub> pollution events (daily concentration > 70 µg/m<sup>3</sup>) occurred due to low wind speeds, the Central Taiwan air basin (CTAB), where TPP is located, became the area most severely affected by TPP’s emissions. The low wind speed was caused by the interaction between the easterly wind field around Taiwan and Taiwan’s north–south mountain ranges. When this happens, TPP’s emissions would have a greater impact on the PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentration at nearby stations in the CTAB and YCNAB, up to about 11%. Overall, on pollution days caused by low wind speeds, the largest TPP load reduction (40%) still had a certain effect as an emergency measure to improve the high PM<sub>2.5</sub> pollution in central and southern Taiwan.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/15/1/56particulate matterair quality modelingcoal-fired power plantpollution eventemergency response measure |
| spellingShingle | Chang-You Tsai Tu-Fu Chen Ken-Hui Chang Role of an Ultra-Large Coal-Fired Power Plant in PM<sub>2.5</sub> Pollution in Taiwan Atmosphere particulate matter air quality modeling coal-fired power plant pollution event emergency response measure |
| title | Role of an Ultra-Large Coal-Fired Power Plant in PM<sub>2.5</sub> Pollution in Taiwan |
| title_full | Role of an Ultra-Large Coal-Fired Power Plant in PM<sub>2.5</sub> Pollution in Taiwan |
| title_fullStr | Role of an Ultra-Large Coal-Fired Power Plant in PM<sub>2.5</sub> Pollution in Taiwan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Role of an Ultra-Large Coal-Fired Power Plant in PM<sub>2.5</sub> Pollution in Taiwan |
| title_short | Role of an Ultra-Large Coal-Fired Power Plant in PM<sub>2.5</sub> Pollution in Taiwan |
| title_sort | role of an ultra large coal fired power plant in pm sub 2 5 sub pollution in taiwan |
| topic | particulate matter air quality modeling coal-fired power plant pollution event emergency response measure |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/15/1/56 |
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