Costs of Coal Abatement for Residential Heating to Reduce Urban Air Pollution in Asian Russia: Evidence from Krasnoyarsk

Abstract

Heat and electricity generation are major sources of air pollution in many large cities worldwide. In Siberian cities, the heat supply significantly contributes to air pollution, as coal remains the primary energy fuel in most of Asian Russia. Krasnoyarsk, the second-largest city in the macro-region by population, serves as a clear example of urban air pollution. In recent years, public authorities have implemented several measures to reduce pollutant emissions. These measures include modernizing thermal power stations, replacing inefficient small boiler houses, and converting residential heating to more environmentally friendly types of fuel. However, our analysis shows that these policies have not yet resulted in a significant transition away from using coal for heating. One of the primary reasons is that alternative fuels are unable to compete with coal in terms of price. The proposal suggests transitioning private households to pellet heating. Our goal is to evaluate the potential environmental and economic impacts of this measure. We estimate the necessary subsidy size for the successful implementation of both initiatives. In conclusion, converting households from coal to pellet heating can reduce the emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, and suspended particles by 0.2%, 8.5%, 4.4%, and 2.7%, respectively, of the total pollutant emissions in Krasnoyarsk. Furthermore, this conversion can provide economic benefits by supporting local pellet producers who heavily rely on export markets. If practically implemented, the proposed approach could solve one of the most significant development issues of one of the largest Russian cities within a few years, with only 2.5% of the annual city budget expenditure.