The SO2 Formation Constant Determination and Sulfur Content Reduction Design in Bituminous Coal to Reduce Maximum Sulfur Dioxide Emissions

SO2 (sulfur dioxide) formation constant from SOx (sulfur oxide) emissions during coal combustion, determined experimentally, is significantly influenced by combustion conditions. Reducing coal’s sulfur content is a key strategy for mitigating toxic SO2 emissions. This paper presents a case study of bituminous coal combustion in the industrial sector in Jakarta, Indonesia, leveraging existing research and FORTRAN 77 scripts to derive two constants and two optimized bituminous coal designs for low and high combustion temperatures. These constants are valuable for calculating SOx emissions, particularly when only SO2 emissions can be measured at temperatures of 1000 °C and 1450 °C during the combustion of bituminous coal. The designs for low and high combustion temperatures, which specify optimal sulfur concentrations in bituminous coal, aim to reduce SO2 emissions of 28 and 232 tons per year from bituminous coal consumption in the industrial sector in Jakarta between 2024 and 2050. Implementation of these designs could force the Indonesian government to establish annual maximum sulfur content regulations for industrial bituminous coal.