Assessment of Comprehensive Effects and Optimization of a Circular Economy System of Coal Power and Cement in Kongtong District, Pingliang City, Gansu Province, China

Abstract

Abstract:The idea of a circular economy (CE), which differs from traditional linear economy with a high consumption of natural resources and pollution, has captured much interest and attention. This paper uses a CE system of coal power and cement in Kongtong District, Pingliang City, Gansu Province, China as a case study to analyze the comprehensive effects of CE paradigm. Our simulation results, based on system dynamics (SD) modeling, infer that the transformation of manufacturing towards a CE system can prominently help coal power and cement enterprises reduce waste emission and increase economic profits. Through solid waste exchanges, a power plant can achieve over RMB 80 million of additional revenue per year at the highest level. CE also contributes to the reduction of regional pollution, saves mineral resources, and improves the atmospheric environment, an accumulated total of 14.11 million t of natural gypsum and 22.67 million t of coal can be saved. This sets a promising example for coal power and cement plants worldwide. Effective regulatory measures and further optimization towards a circular economy system are essential in maintaining the stable development of a CE system due to the risk of surplus production of upstream industries and other defects.

Energy-based industrial symbiosis: a literature review for circular energy transition

“…For instance, in Kawasaki (Japan) separated plastic and paper generated within the urban area are converted into high-performance solid fuel, which is then used in a steel plant as a substitute for coke and fuel in the blast furnace (Ohnishi et al 2017). In Pingliang City (China), unsorted urban wastes are used to replace coal in a power plant (Dong et al 2017).…”

Corporate Strategies for a Circular Economy: A Comparative Study of Energy Companies

“…Table 1 presents circular economy strategies covered by the literature under QUERY1 and QUERY2. Recycling of ash from coal and biomass combustion (Cruz et al, 2017;Fuller et al, 2018;Millward-Hopkins and Purnell, 2019) Carbon capture and utilisation (Naims, 2016 (Islam and Jashimuddin, 2017;van der Roest et al, 2017), microalgae (Fernández-Acero et al, 2019), wood-waste (Buonocore et al, 2019;Millward-Hopkins and Purnell, 2019), wine production (Donia, Mineo and Sgroi, 2018) Use of renewable power for plastic production (Palm, Nilsson and Åhman, 2016) Supply chain Sustainable or green procurement Industrial symbiosis Polygeneration systems Waste exchange Offgas recycling for methanol production (Ng and Martinez Hernandez, 2016) Waste exchanges between coal power producer and cement producer (Dong et al, 2017) Customers and community Recovery of end-of-life products Community involvement Socially responsible consumption Energy generation on underused spaces: rooftops (Corcelli et al, 2019), landfill (Bučinskas, Kriipsalu and Denafas, 2018)…”

Family Business’s Transitioning to Circular Economy Model: The Case of “Mercadona”

“…Our model raises the need for decision-makers in the family business to make decisions designed to mitigate these externalities. The transition to CE will help to reduce these negative effects [37].…”