Carbon emission accounting method for environmentally friendly lime kilns
The carbon emission accounting of environmentally friendly lime kilns is the fundamental work for quantitatively evaluating their greenhouse gas emissions and implementing emission reduction management. Its accounting needs to follow the principles of accuracy, transparency, and consistency, with the core being the identification of emission sources, acquisition of activity data, and application of appropriate emission factors.
The carbon emissions of lime kilns mainly come from three parts. The most critical issue is the process emissions generated by the calcination and decomposition of limestone (calcium carbonate), which is the main pathway for carbon dioxide production and is inevitable. Its calculation depends on the consumption of limestone, the content of calcium carbonate, and the decomposition rate. Secondly, there are emissions from fuel combustion, which involve the release of carbon dioxide from coal, natural gas, or biomass fuels during kiln combustion. The accounting needs to be based on fuel consumption, low calorific value, carbon oxidation rate, and other parameters. Finally, the indirect emissions corresponding to the net purchase of electricity and heat reflect the upstream carbon emission transfer caused by production energy consumption.
When conducting accounting, activity data should prioritize the use of continuously monitored measurement data from the enterprise, such as the kiln measurement of limestone and fuel, meter readings, etc. For key parameters that lack actual measurement, such as limestone decomposition rate or carbon content of fuel, reference can be made to the latest "Guidelines for Accounting and Reporting of Enterprise Greenhouse Gas Emissions" and its supplementary data tables published by national or industry regulatory authorities for default values. Official data with credibility should be used for emission factors to ensure comparability of results.
The final emissions are the sum of three types of emission sources. Rigorous accounting not only requires accurate calculations, but also the establishment of a complete data acquisition and management ledger, archiving the source, measurement method, and processing process of each data item to ensure traceability and verifiability of the results. This has a fundamental supporting role for enterprises to grasp their own carbon footprint, participate in carbon market trading, and formulate deep decarbonization paths.
