High-Speed Rail Electric Traction Carbon Emission Calculation Method Based on Carbon Flow Theory

With global warming and escalating environmental pressures, low-carbon development has become a consensus. Against this backdrop, this study proposes an innovative method for calculating the carbon emissions from electric traction of high-speed trains. Utilizing reverse power flow tracing technology, the method precisely determines the supply structure of high-speed railway traction stations, where the carbon emission factors of electricity vary at different times and locations due to changes in power grid dispatching and supply mix. This approach facilitates the construction of a finely-tuned dynamic model of carbon emission factors at the provincial, municipal, and traction station levels to calculate the carbon emissions from high-speed railway electric traction. Based on this model, the study conducts time-segmented calculations of carbon emissions, comprehensively capturing the dynamics of carbon emissions during the electric traction process of high-speed railways. A lateral comparison with traditional modes of travel, such as cars and airplanes, reveals that high-speed railways have a significant advantage in terms of per capita carbon emissions, furthering the scientific basis for promoting high-speed railways as a green mode of travel. In fact, empirical analysis results show that this method can accurately quantify the carbon emissions during the electric traction phase of high-speed railway operations, providing decision support for train operators to optimize their operational strategies, and offering passengers reference information for making more environmentally-friendly travel choices.