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China targets coal as it unveils plans to fight air pollution
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China unveiled comprehensive measures to tackle air pollution yesterday, with plans to slash coal consumption and close polluting mills, factories and smelters.
It aims to cap coal consumption at below 65 percent of its total primary energy use by 2017.
To achieve the target, new industrial projects in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in north China, the Yangtze Delta region in the east and the Pearl River Delta region in the south will be banned from building their own thermal power plants, according to the plan announced yesterday.
These regions should also try to reduce total coal use, replacing it with power purchased from other areas or with power generated from natural gas or non-fossil fuels, it said.
The country also plans to phase out more outdated industrial plants, including the closure of 15 million tons of annual steelmaking capacity in 2015.
Heavier penalties will be imposed for violations of environmental, energy conservation and safety requirements, while energy conservation and environmental protection standards will be strictly implemented to support the phasing out of excess production capacity.
“The pressure to curb air pollution is rising amid China’s industrialization and urbanization and increasing consumption of energy and resources,” the government plan said.
China has been under pressure to address the causes of air pollution after thick, hazardous smog engulfed much of the industrial north, including Beijing, in January.
Much of the pollution is caused by emissions from coal-burning power stations, with levels of dangerously small particles known as PM2.5 reaching as high as 40 times World Health Organization limits this year.
The pollution has been linked to thousands of premature deaths, and has tarnished the image of China’s cities, including the capital which saw an almost 15 percent drop in tourist visits in the first half of this year.
Three of China’s most populated coastal regions — including the areas surrounding Shanghai, Beijing, and the manufacturing hub of the Pearl River delta — should “strive to achieve a reduction in total consumption of coal,” the plan said.
The State Council said “concentrations of fine particles” in Beijing’s air will fall by “approximately 25 percent” from 2012 levels by 2017.
Other major Chinese cities on the east coast, including Shanghai and Guangzhou, will see reductions of between 10 and 20 percent from 2012 levels over the same period, according to the plan.
The government plan aims to raise the share of non-fossil fuel energy to 13 percent by 2017, up from 11.4 percent in 2012. Its previous target was 15 percent by 2020.
Nuclear capacity
To help meet that target, it would raise installed nuclear capacity to 50 gigawatts by 2017, up from 12.5 GW now and slightly accelerating a previous 2020 target of 58 GW.
And it would add 150 billion cubic meters of natural gas pipeline capacity by the end of 2015 to cover industrial areas in the east and southeast.
According to the plan, China would speed up the closure of old industrial capacity and “basically complete” work to relocate plants to coastal areas, as well as tackle pollution and overcapacity in the iron and steel, aluminum and cement sectors by 2017.
It also said a 2015 target to close outdated industrial capacity would be accelerated to 2014, and it would halt construction of all unapproved projects in industries facing overcapacity.
Mega-cities such as Shanghai and Beijing should strictly control the number of vehicles, the plan said, calling on citizens to turn to public transport and live a green lifestyle.
People are both air pollution sources and victims. Each member of the public must act to prevent and control air pollution through their actions, such as leaving cars at home on International Car-Free Day on September 22.
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