Sustainable development and ecological protection associated with coal-fired power plants in China

ABSTRACT

Power generation determines coal resource utilization in China. However, the development and construction of coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) are bringing new challenges to coal resource utilization efficiency, coal exploiting and utilizing technology, and ecosystem and environmental protection. To better resolve these challenges, various governmental agencies and industrial organizations have sponsored a series of research projects for top research institutions in China. In this special issue, based on a series of research in Xilingol, Inner Mongolia, we focus on the impacts of CFPP construction on ecosystems from the aspects of ecological carrying capacity, ecological sensitivity, and ecological compensation. The articles published in this special issue support a general conclusion that CFPP construction is a double-edge sword to eco-environmental protection. Therefore, it is especially important to take the countermeasures of ecosystem and environmental protection while developing CFPPs.

KEYWORDS:

• Sustainability
• ecological protection
• coal-fired power plant (CFPP)
• sustainable development

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the State Key Research Development Program of China (No. 2016YFC0503603).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the State Key Research Development Program of China [2016YFC0503603].