Detailed analysis of power generation and water desalination sector emissions: part 2—GHGs and heavy metals

This article examines power-generation unit-specific and fuel-specific GHGs and heavy metals emissions calculated using US-EPA AP-42 emission factors for 2016 conditions. Total GHG emissions were 4.67E+04 Gg CO₂e distributed as 4.64E+04 Gg CO₂, 1.27E+00 Gg CH₄ and 9.90E−01 Gg N₂O, representing about double the official value reported in Kuwait's Initial National Communications for 1994. This very value was 75% of that predicted by the same report for 2016. Based on the ratio of the power generation CO₂e emissions to national-level CO₂e emissions back in 1994, the 2016 national GHGs emissions for the State of Kuwait would be 6.50E+04 Gg. Finally, the ratio of the CO₂e for CO₂: CH₄: N₂O for 2016 was 99.29%: 0.06%: 0.66% which is not significantly different from the 1994 ratios, i.e., 99.81%: 0.03%: 0.16%. Across the heavy metals, Ni emissions were the highest, while Hg emissions were lowest, with annual emissions 8.80E−02 and 1.35E−04 Gg, respectively. In addition to ranking the power plants based on emissions, the ratio (R) of emitted mass to released thermal energy was calculated. This concept was further extended to calculate the fuel-specific R by solving 4 simultaneous equations. Doha West Power Station has the highest R for CO₂ and N₂O but lowest R for CH₄. The fuel-specific R values for heavy fuel oil was 42% and 87% higher than that for natural gas for CO₂ and N₂O, respectively, which explains the higher contribution of boilers to CO₂ and N₂O emissions.