THE PLASMA ENERGY ROUTE TO INDUSTRIAL CARBON NEUTRALITY IN CHINA

China's heavy industry accounts for more than 70% of carbon dioxide emissions. Plasma technology could play a major role in "carbon neutrality" in heavy industry. In this paper, the development history and present situation of plasma energy technology are reviewed. Aiming at the problem of carbon dioxide emission in heavy industry and the fluctuation of renewable energy power, the technical route of traditional industrial low-carbon process reengineering based on plasma heat generated by renewable energy power is proposed: plasma reactors are installed in the lower part or side of blast furnace and cement kiln decomposition furnace. The gas discharged from blast furnace and cement rotary kiln is purified and CO₂ is separated. The separated CO₂, with biomass or pulverized coal, are sent to the plasma reactor, which is heated to produce high temperature gas. The high temperature gas enters the blast furnace as an iron ore reducing agent and provides the energy required for iron making. The carbonates are pyrolyzed by gas at high temperature in the calciner, and the raw materials under the calciner are preheated. The pure gas from which CO₂ is separated is used as fuel, chemical synthesis raw material, and/or high efficiency gas vapor combined cycle power generation for peaking; It is equipped with electrolytic water for hydrogen production to supplement the gas chemical synthesis hydrogen source, and the hydrogen production and plasma can be used as the depth adjustable power load; Quick start and stop process of plasma coal gasification to produce acetylene instead of calcium carbide acetylene. The economic technology of the process is analyzed, and the key technical problems of plasma energy related to low carbon process reengineering are put forward. The traditional industrial low-carbon process reengineering based on plasma energy, combined with water electrolysis to produce hydrogen, builds the energy system of iron and steel metallurgy, cement enterprises and industrial energy internet, that realizes the replacement of traditional industrial fossil fuels, efficient conversion and utilization of CO₂, balance of fluctuating power of renewable energy, so as that helps China's heavy industry to be carbon neutral.