Abstract: Compared with the year 2013 when the ultra-low emission control had not been widely implemented, the installed capacity and actual power generation of thermal power sector in China increased by 36.7% and 19.5% respectively in 2019, but the emissions of smoke dust, SO₂ and NO_x decreased by 87.3%, 88.6% and 88.8% respectively. In the same period, the power consumption rate of plants for the thermal power sector in China remained at 6.01%, and the net coal consumption decreased from 321 g/(kW·h) to 306.4 g/(kW·h), which is equivalent to the reduction of CO₂ emission of about 270.15 million tons in 2019. That is about 1, 801 times of the designed capacity 150, 000 tons/year of the largest carbon capture project in China. In order to summarize the significant achievements of ultra-low emission and energy-saving retrofit of coal-fired power plants in China, as well as to provide guidance for the pollution control of other industries and promote the efficient and economic carbon peak and carbon neutrality, this paper systematically studies the critical impacts in terms of the strictest emission standard, enterprise demand, national attention, technological innovation and economic incentive policy on the successful practice of ultra-low emission and energy-saving retrofit of coal-fired power plants. The study concludes that in addition to the high investment, substantial operating cost should be take into account in ultra-low emission project and carbon capture project. The top-level design and continuous promotion is the key part of flue gas control project, while the technical breakthrough and normalized application ensure the success with the emphasis on the environmental protection electricity pricing and the related incentive policy. As far as the ultra-low emissions are concerned, economic incentive policies such as ultra-low electricity price should not be canceled even after the completion of ultra-low emissions retrofit. On the contrary, it should be further optimized to boost the high-efficient operation of ultra-low emission projects. In the process of implementing ultra-low emissions, by borrowing the successful experience from the electric power industry, other industrial sectors should formulate national environmental protection standards such as feasible technical routes and technical engineering, operation and management specifications. At the same time, relevant economic incentive policies shall also be issued to ensure the construction and operation of ultra-low emission projects to achieve real emission reduction effect. Upon the completion of energy-saving renovation projects, the operation of the projects have demonstrated not only certain economic benefits but also remarkable capabilities to reduce CO₂ emission. Constrained by carbon peak and carbon neutrality, coal-fired power plant should be prioritized first for energy saving retrofit project. Unless there are significant decrease of energy consumption, cost and risk, carbon capture project should not be popularized blindly.

Key words: coal-fired power generation, ultra-low emission, energy-saving retrofit, carbon peak, carbon neutrality