Mercury emissions of a coal fired power plant in Germany

Abstract

Hg/SO2, Hg/CO, NOx/SO2 emission ratios (ERs) in the plume of coal fired power plant (CFPP)Lippendorf near Leipzig in Germany were determined within the European Tropospheric Mercury Experiment (ETMEP) aircraft campaign in August 2013. GOM fraction of mercury emissions was also assessed. Measured Hg/SO2 and Hg/CO ERs were within the measurement uncertainties consistent with the ratios calculated from annual emissions in 2013 reported by the CFPP operator, the NOx/SO2 ER was somewhat lower. GOM fraction of total mercury emissions, estimated by three independent methods, was ~10% with an upper limit of ~25%. This result is consistent with findings by others and suggests that GOM fractions of ~40% of CFPP mercury emissions in current emission inventories are overestimated.