Nitrous oxide emissions of energy production

The share of energy production of the world-wide total N2O emissions is about 10 %. In 1991 the N2O emissions estimated to be up to 30 %. The previous estimates based on incorrect measurements. The measurement methods have been improved during the past few years. The present measurements have shown that the share of the combustion of fossil fuels is about 2.0 % and the share biomass combustion about 5.0 % of the total. The uncertainty of the values can be few percentage units. According to the present measurements the share of natural emissions and the fertilizers of the total N2O emissions is up to 60 %. The formation of nitrous oxide has been studied widely in various countries in the world. In Finland nitrous oxide has been studied in the national LIEKKI research programme. As a result of the research carried out in the programme it has been possible to reduce the formation of N2O by using appropriate catalysts and combustion technologies. Nitrous oxide is formed e.g. in fluidized-bed combustion of nitrogen containing fuels. The combustion temperature of other combustion methods is so high that the gas disintegrates in the furnace. By the new methods the nitrous oxide emissions of the fluidized-bed combustion has been possible to reduce from 100-200 ppm to the level less than 50 ppm of the flue gas volume. The Japanese research has shown that the nitrous oxide emissions of bubbling beds vary in between 58 - 103 ppm, but when combusting paper the emissions are 6 - 29 ppm. The corresponding value of circulating fluidized beds is 40 - 153 ppm