Top economic planning agency has revoked approvals for 13 small
coal-fired power plants in six provinces amid efforts to boost
energy efficiency and reduce pollution.
The 13 plants have 25 power generating units with a total
installed capacity of 2.44 gigawatts. Four are in Liaoning, two in
Jilin, three in Shanxi, one in Hebei, two in Henan, and one in
Guizhou.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on
Sunday it has banned construction on the power plants that had
earlier received approvals from either the central government or
local governments.
The NDRC ordered construction to cease on projects already begun
and already built facilities to be dismantled.
The government has been encouraging the construction of large
power plants while closing small ones that consume more energy and
discharge more pollutants.
The government has shut down 365 power generating units in
operation with a combined capacity of more than 11 gigawatts from
January to November.
The government has vowed to reduce the energy consumption per
unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 20 percent and major
pollutants emissions by ten percent between 2006 and 2010.
The nation's energy consumption per unit of GDP dropped three
percent year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2007.
Meanwhile, the sulfur dioxide emissions fell 1.81 percent and
chemical oxygen demand (a measure of water pollution) dropped 0.28
percent.
(Xinhua News Agency December 17, 2007)