2017 International Conference on Environment Impacts of the Oil and Gas Industries (EIOGI), Koya , Kurdistan Region - Iraq

Investigation on Private Power Generators Pollutants in

Koya City
Hayder H. Abbas1, Fakhri H. Ibrahem2, Ahmed A. Maaroof3,
1,2 &3
Koya University, Chemical Engineering Dept., Koya, Erbil, Kurdistan Region-Iraq,
1
hayder.hassan@koyauniversity.org
2
fakhri.ibraheem@koyauniversity.org
3
ahmed.maaroof@koyauniversity.org
The public generators are directed by the private sector, and
many
Abstract – Koya city like any other city in the world faces a of these generators are old and they emit considerable
critical environmental problem which is global warming and amounts of hazardous pollutants. This study divides Koya
the increase in the rate of production of gaseous pollutants. city to 18 quarters as shown in figure (3). The number of
This research is involved with the negative effects of private local generators in each district is different as a result of
Electrical Power Generators (EPGs) on the environment in
different population density in each quarter [2]. Electricity is
Koya City. The environmental pollutants resulted from EPGs
was investigated by performing an actual study on land for a a major requirement for the economic development of a
number of (EPGs) and its distribution all over Koya’s City country. There is a strong connection between many
strips (total of 18 quarters) supported by statistical studies. The functions of present day life and the supply of energy. In
total amount of pollution (due to the annual increasing of other word, if the supply of electrical power stops the
power generation capacity) was increased by 130 % between necessary functions of current day will end. Among the all
2009 and 2016, depending on data obtained from the Electricity forms of energy that exist in the nature, electricity is the
Directorate in Koya City. The results showed that the most most important one due to its connection to the daily life of
significant increase in pollutants was carbon Dioxide (CO2). human and the development of the communities [3].
The conclusion of this study was that the highest rate of
The operational status of private generators varies depending
pollution occurred in the center of the Koya City in Nalee
quarter, which represented 14 %, and in nine other quarters on it’s lifetime of the generators and their degradation.
the rate of pollution was 7 %. While the lower pollution level Quantities and types of liberated polluted gases depend on
occurred in eight other quarters, which represented 3 % of the operational status of these generators and the quality of
whole pollutants for each strip. fuel used. The more efficient burning process inside the
generator chamber, the better power production as well as
Keywords: Pollutants, emission, environment, air pollution, the low quantities of liberated toxic gases, especially Carbon
dust emission, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen Monoxide (CO). Some generators use heavy and light diesel
oxides, mass particulate, diesel power generator. as fuel and some are dependent on benzene. The generator,
which uses low fuel density liberated low amount of
I. INTRODUCTION
polluted gases. The amount of sulfur in fuel leads to higher
The current work was conducted in order to collect data of a concentration of SOx. The higher accumulated
number of private power generators that in use in the Koya concentration of polluted gases in limited aria like Koya
city to estimate the type of pollutants, and to analyze the City has a bad impact on public health of people .The use of
impact of their emission on the community. Koya city is non-clean fuel increases the amount of carbon particulate in
one of the oldest districts in Kurdistan region of Iraq. It’s the environment which causes respiratory diseases.
considered a bridge between the Governorates of Erbil and Generally, the fuel specifications are not stable due to many
Sulaymaniyah. The city surrounded by five sub-districts sources and suppliers. It is shown from the investigations
(Taq Taq, Shoresh, Ashti, Sktan, Segrdkan) and it's located that the use of light diesel oil is common. The study depends
620 meters above sea level [1]. on the standard liberated gases of diesel oil from generators
Generally, there are two means for supplying electrical whose models are for the years 2000 to 2010 [4.]
power to public in residential areas in both Iraq and The main pollutants’ emissions from local electrical power
Kurdistan region including Koya city. It is either supplied generators are: carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide
from a national feeder grid or from local public generators. (CO), Sulfur Oxides (SOx), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Carbon
Black (CB) and Mass Particulate (MP). The rate of
emissions depends on the burning efficiency of the fuel in

978-1-5090-3062-0/17/31.00$©2017 IEEE

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2017 International Conference on Environment Impacts of the Oil and Gas Industries (EIOGI), Koya , Kurdistan Region - Iraq

the internal combustion engine. The controlling of III. THE STANDARD EMISSION FROM DIESEL FUELED
combustion process leads to minimize the emissions [5] & GENERATORS
[6].
Most emission factors’ data were provided in units of pound
According to the recent studies, electrical Power generation
(lb) of emissions per ton of fuel. Lower heating values
has been considered as the largest source of greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions. Globally, electrical power generation (LHVs) were used to convert these emission factors to a
emits approximately 10 billion tons of CO2 per year. Since lb/MMBtu basis. Table 2 shows the Emission Factors for
the Industrial Revolution, the concentration of CO2 in the diesel fuel generators based on LHVs.
atmosphere has risen to approximately 40% due to fossil
fuel combustion. CO2 has been declared a health risk to
Table II. Standard Emission (lb/MMBTU) for diesel fuelled generator] 4]
humans and scientific research indicates that it is the leading
cause of climate change and rising temperatures on the Emission Emission
Pollutants Pollutants
planet [7]. Factor Factor
CO2 176.6 CO 0,00431
Emissions from burning fossil fuel are not necessarily an
Mass Particulates
issue, however: it is the effect of these on the environment NOx 0.558
(MP)
0.534
that is important. For instance, inhalation of air containing SOx 0.1215 Carbon Black (CB) 0.092
high levels of sulphates in combination with certain other
emissions can accelerate the probability of premature death.
While sulphur dioxide can be beneficial, in that it can IV. MATERIAL AND METHODS
enhance growth of certain plants at low concentrations, it 52 generators were investigated in this study distributed over
can decrease growth at higher doses. In combination with 18 quarters. The total amount of fuel consumption was 8949
water, sulphur dioxide forms acids which have a corrosive liters per day. The total generators capacity was 9058 KVA.
effect on a variety of materials [8] & [9]. The mean generators amount of oil consumption was 1.02
liter per KW operating hours. The emission factor was
II. ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATORS IN KOYA CITY estimated according to lb/MMBtu [4] . The study showed
The amount of electricity generation in Koya city is doubled that the amount of electricity generated in the Koya city
during the period 2009 – 2016 according to Table 1. This during 2016 was 45008 MWHr, Each MMBtu = 0.29
resulted in increasing the amount of fuel consumption Megawatt Hour. The amount of thermal units produced =
during the same period as shown in Fig 1. 45008 MWHr/ 0.29 (MWHR/MMBtu) = 155200 MMBtu.
Table I. Amount of electrical power generation in Koya city through the The Pollutant of CO2 for example = 155200 MMBTU ×
period 2009 – 2016 [1] 176.6 (lb/ MMBTU) × (0.4536 (Kg/lb) / 1000 (Kg/ton))
Year Megawatt. Hour Pollutant of CO2 = 12432 tons.
2009 19736 V. MAIN CONTRIBUTION AND RESULTS
2012 28577 Figure (2) demonstrates the increase in the total production
2016 45008 of pollutants in the Koya city between 2009 – 2016

Fig.1. Annual fuel consumption for private power generator in Koya City
throughout the period 2009 – 2016[10] .
Fig. 2. Total amount of pollutants emitted from private electrical
generators in Koya city throughout the period 2009 - 2016

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2017 International Conference on Environment Impacts of the Oil and Gas Industries (EIOGI), Koya , Kurdistan Region - Iraq

The amount of each pollutant is shown in Table III. VI. CONCLUSION

Table III. Amount of different pollutants in tons emitted yearly from This research has come up with the following conclusions:
private electrical generators in Koya City
Year CO2 NOx SOx CO MP CB A. The amount of pollutants has been increased rapidly as
2009 5452 17.23 3.75 0.159 19.76 2.84 a result of the increase in production of electrical energy.
2012 7894 24.94 5.43 0.231 28.6 4.11 From the statistical results, Koya city has witnessed an
2016 12432 39.28 8.55 0.364 45.05 6.48 increase in the production of private electrical power
generators to a double during the period 2009 – 2016. The
Koya City consists of total of 25 quarters as shown in Fig 3.
generators were supplied by Diesel fuel.
However, the study focuses on 18 quarters only because
only these quarters possess public electrical generators. The B. The total amount of pollutants increased by 130%
average total amount of pollutants for each quarter in the during the period 2009 – 2016. The amount of different
Koya city in 2009 as a case study is shown in Fig. 4. pollutants was estimated according to emission factors
from diesel internal combustion engine.
C. According to the recent studies, the types of pollutants
were referred to the effect of two factors; first, the amount
of electrical power production and, second, the kind of fuel
used for burning in the generators. As a result, it has been
considered the heavy oil, fuel produce more pollutants than
lighter fuel.
D. The average annual increase of total pollutants was 50%
± 5. This overall increase in the pollution rate can be
graded into the following pollutants from highest to lowest
amount in 2009 as a case study: CO2, PM, CB, NOx, SOx
and CO
E. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) was the major pollutant due to
its highest emission factor. The annual total amount of
(CO2) emitted in 2016 was 12432 tons.
F. The Mass Particulate (MP) and Carbon Black (CB)
pollutants annual amount liberated in 2016 were 45.05 and
Fig. 3. Koya City quarters and the distribution of electrical diesel 6.48 tons respectively.
[generators 3]
G. The Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Sulfur Oxides (SOx), and
Carbon Monoxide (CO) pollutants annual amount liberated
in 2016 were 39.28, 8.55, and 0.345 tons respectively.
H. The area of distribution of pollutants can be categorized
into three sectors. The highest one was in the center of the
Koya City (Nalee quarter) with about 14 % of whole
pollutants in Koya City.
I. The medium one was existed in nine quarters (Kalat,
Azadi, Faderal, Sarbast, Kakon, Bafre Kandel, Kosrat,
Mahabad, and Deldar). The average amount of total
pollutants for each quarter is 7 % of whole pollutants.

J. The other eight quarters have the lower range with 3 %

of whole pollutants.

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2017 International Conference on Environment Impacts of the Oil and Gas Industries (EIOGI), Koya , Kurdistan Region - Iraq

[2] Ali, Jafar A., Hayder H. Abbas, and Loghman Khodakarami.

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