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https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-354
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-354
10 Jul 2025
 | 10 Jul 2025
Status: this preprint is currently under review for the journal ESSD.

Estimation of CFC-11 emissions from coal combustion in China

Zhenzhen Niu, Shaofei Kong, Qin Yan, Yi Cheng, Huang Zheng, Yao Hu, Jian Wu, Xujing Qin, Haoyu Dong, Weisi Jiang, Yingying Yan, Wei Liu, Feng Ding, Yongqing Bai, and Shihua Qi

Abstract. The trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11) emission from its production and use (PAU) has drawn wide attention, while its combustion sources have been overlooked. This study identified CFC-11 emission factors (EFs) as 3.6, 3.2, and 0.025 mg kg⁻1 from the combustion of domestic chunk coal, honeycomb briquette, and coal-fired power plant, respectively. A multi-year (2000~2021) emission inventory of CFC-11 from coal combustion was established in China. Results indicated that its annual emission averaged 233.5 t yr⁻1. It exhibited fluctuations and held an overall upward trend, increasing from accounting for 0.8 % of PAU emissions in 2000 to 9.8 % in 2021, with the peak value appearing in 2016. In Shandong and Hebei provinces with high coal consumption amounts, the CFC-11 emissions from coal combustion increased by approximately 74 % during 2014~2017 compared to 2011~2012. At the Gosan station close to Chinese mainland, CFC-11 emitted from coal combustion in Hebei and Shandong was approximately occupied by ~30 % of its average concentration during January 2016. An additional climate effect of the clean heating and coal-to-electricity policies in China was also observed, with an obvious decrease (2.2×106 t and 3.4×107 t) of CO2-equivalent emission. This study provides substantial evidence of CFC-11 emission from coal combustion and highlights the role of combustion emission under the background of reducing CFC-11 from PAU. The data compiled in this work can found at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.28523063 (Niu et al., 2025).

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
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Zhenzhen Niu, Shaofei Kong, Qin Yan, Yi Cheng, Huang Zheng, Yao Hu, Jian Wu, Xujing Qin, Haoyu Dong, Weisi Jiang, Yingying Yan, Wei Liu, Feng Ding, Yongqing Bai, and Shihua Qi

Status: open (until 16 Aug 2025)

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on essd-2025-354', Anonymous Referee #1, 11 Jul 2025 reply
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Shaofei Kong, 28 Jul 2025 reply
  • RC2: 'Comment on essd-2025-354', Anonymous Referee #2, 16 Jul 2025 reply
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Shaofei Kong, 28 Jul 2025 reply
Zhenzhen Niu, Shaofei Kong, Qin Yan, Yi Cheng, Huang Zheng, Yao Hu, Jian Wu, Xujing Qin, Haoyu Dong, Weisi Jiang, Yingying Yan, Wei Liu, Feng Ding, Yongqing Bai, and Shihua Qi

Data sets

Estimation of CFC-11 emissions from coal combustion in China Zhenzhen Niu https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.28523063

Zhenzhen Niu, Shaofei Kong, Qin Yan, Yi Cheng, Huang Zheng, Yao Hu, Jian Wu, Xujing Qin, Haoyu Dong, Weisi Jiang, Yingying Yan, Wei Liu, Feng Ding, Yongqing Bai, and Shihua Qi

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Short summary
Trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11) is usually recognized from CFC-11 production and use sources. In this study, we established CFC-11 emission inventory from coal combustion in China during 2000~2021. We found that CFC-11 emissions from coal combustion exhibited fluctuations and an overall upward trend, peaking in 2016, and Hebei and Shandong provinces had higher emissions. The CFC-11 emissions from coal combustion in the coastal regions might influence the monitored CFC-11 concentrations.
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