In smog battle, Beijing's neighbor plans to reduce coal power

SHIJIAZHUANG -- Hebei, one of China's northern province's that is plagued by air pollution, has vowed to reduce its dependence on coal-fired power plants.

At the ongoing session of the provincial legislature, it was announced that a plan would be drawn up to cut coal-power generation this year, which would feature the elimination of outdated facilities and upgrade of power plants.

To optimize energy structure, the province will support construction of wind farms in the cities of Zhangjiakou and Chengde, as well as a photovoltaic power project in Zhangjiakou, where the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are to be held, according to a provincial government report released Sunday.

It will also speed up power grid construction to transfer power to and from other provinces.

According to the report, Hebei is expected to increase its wind and photovoltaic power capacity by 2 million KW and 1.5 million KW. Annual natural gas supply will reach 12 billion cubic meters.

The dependence on coal to provide power for energy is considered one of the main contributors to air pollution in Hebei.

The province, also a leading iron and steel producer in China, plans to cut iron and steel capacities by 32 million tonnes in 2017.

The average PM2.5 density in Hebei dropped 9.1 percent in 2016 and a reduction of over 6 percent has been set for this year.