Sustained growth of sulfur hexafluoride emissions in China inferred from atmospheric observations

Minde An (), Ronald G. Prinn, Luke M. Western, Xingchen Zhao, Bo Yao (), Jianxin Hu, Anita L. Ganesan, Jens Mühle, Ray F. Weiss, Paul B. Krummel, Simon O’Doherty, Dickon Young and Matthew Rigby
Additional contact information
Minde An: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ronald G. Prinn: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Luke M. Western: University of Bristol
Xingchen Zhao: Peking University
Bo Yao: Fudan University
Jianxin Hu: Peking University
Anita L. Ganesan: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Jens Mühle: University of California San Diego
Ray F. Weiss: University of California San Diego
Paul B. Krummel: CSIRO Environment
Simon O’Doherty: University of Bristol
Dickon Young: University of Bristol
Matthew Rigby: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is a potent greenhouse gas. Here we use long-term atmospheric observations to determine SF6 emissions from China between 2011 and 2021, which are used to evaluate the Chinese national SF6 emission inventory and to better understand the global SF6 budget. SF6 emissions in China substantially increased from 2.6 (2.3-2.7, 68% uncertainty) Gg yr−1 in 2011 to 5.1 (4.8-5.4) Gg yr−1 in 2021. The increase from China is larger than the global total emissions rise, implying that it has offset falling emissions from other countries. Emissions in the less-populated western regions of China, which have potentially not been well quantified in previous measurement-based estimates, contribute significantly to the national SF6 emissions, likely due to substantial power generation and transmission in that area. The CO2-eq emissions of SF6 in China in 2021 were 125 (117-132) million tonnes (Mt), comparable to the national total CO2 emissions of several countries such as the Netherlands or Nigeria. The increasing SF6 emissions offset some of the CO2 reductions achieved through transitioning to renewable energy in the power industry, and might hinder progress towards achieving China’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2060 if no concrete control measures are implemented.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46084-3

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