TEMPORAL EVOLUTION OF THE SULPHUR OXIDES EMISSIONS FROM THE GREEK ELECTRICITY GENERATION SECTOR

摘要

The Greek electricity production sector is based -as far back as the early 60s- on the usage of local lignite and imported heavy-oil. Hence the electricity production process is assumed responsible for a significant contribution to air pollution, including 80% of the national sulphur dioxide emissions. In this context, an extensive and thorough analysis is carried out concerning the SO_2 effluents coming from the electricity generation sector during the 1995-2002 period. For this purpose, the available long-term official measurements are taken into consideration and analysed in depth. According to this analysis, the SO_2 emissions factor ratio between Southern Greece and Northern Greece lignite fired stations is in the order of 25:1. Additionally, one may definitely state that there is a considerable surcharge of sulphur oxides released by the Greek electricity production system, which although showing a fairly decreasing tendency, is still above the 8.5gr kWh~(-1) consumed. Finally, the positive contribution of the natural gas, gradually replacing other fuels, and the operation of a new desutphurisation unit in S. Greece are clearly counterbalanced by the significant and constant annual electricity consumption amplification of the last decade.