Setting Emission Standards for Coal-Fired Power Plants in ASEAN

Key Points

In the projections up to 2040, coal is projected to remain an important source of energy to power ASEAN’s economic and industrial development. Setting emission standards of ASEAN’s coal-fired power plants by moving from sub-critical (SubC) to supercritical (SC) and ultra-supercritical (USC) technologies can contribute positively to ASEAN’s decarbonisation effort.

• In the 6th ASEAN Energy Outlook (AEO6) , coal fired power plants (CFPPs) in the ASEAN Member States (AMS) are expected to generate 3,123 terra-watt hours of electricity contributing to 25.7% of total electricity production in the Baseline Scenario by 2040.
• In recognition of the environmental benefits, the AMS are moving towards more efficient CFPP technologies noting the access of available coal types (ranks).
• USC technology has already been adopted in several of the AMS. Selected existing USC technologies can be used to set reference standards for the emission factors of the CFPPs in ASEAN.
• Under the APAEC (ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation) Targets Scenario (APS), APS+ and Best-Available-Technology (BAT) scenarios, with each representing a proposed emission standard for ASEAN’s CFPPs, the CFPPs can contribute 1.14%, 16.56% and 31.98%, respectively, to the overall decarbonisation targets set for the AMS Targets Scenario (ATS) scenario and 0.70%, 10.15% and 19.60%, respectively, to the overall decarbonisation targets set for the APS scenario.