천연가스 열병합발전의 2차 생성 PM2.5 저감효과 추정

Particulate matter has recently emerged as the most important environmental issue in Korea. In this regard, government policy has focused on reducing the emissions of PM<SUB>2.5</SUB>, i.e., particulate matter less than 2.5 ㎛ in diameter, owing to the significant hazard it poses to human health. In particular, secondary PM<SUB>2.5</SUB> formations are considered more harmful than primary PM<SUB>2.5</SUB> emissions in the power generation and heating sectors. Therefore, this study seeks to examine the extent to which a natural-gas-based (NG-based) combined heat and power (CHP) or co-generation plant, which produces heat and electricity simultaneously, can reduce secondary PM<SUB>2.5</SUB> formation. We focused on an alternative facility that produces heat in individual boilers for housing and an alternative facility of the Korea Electric Power Corporation that produces electricity as a fossil fuel‑based power mix. The results show that the NG-based CHP plant reduced secondary PM<SUB>2.5</SUB> formation by 565 tons in 2018. This is because the NG‑based CHP plant was equipped with emission-reduction facilities, unlike individual boilers, and its high energy efficiency led to reduced emissions of air pollutants. As of 2018, secondary PM<SUB>2.5</SUB> formation amounts to 34,901 million won per year. These results are in line with the government’s policy of expanding NG-based CHP plants and imply that they can be useful as a means of reducing PM<SUB>2.5</SUB>.