China plans to cut sulfur dioxide (SO2) discharges from its
coal-fired power plants by 62 percent by 2010 in an effort to
reduce air pollution.
The realization of the target was vital to clean up the air and
reach the goal set by the government in its 11th five-year plan to
cut nationwide discharges of SO2 by 10 percent by 2010, said an
official with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)
on Tuesday.
The SO2 discharged by coal-fueled power generators is expected
to drop from 13 million tons in 2005 to 5.02 million tons in 2010,
according to a plan released by NDRC and the State Environmental
Protection Administration (SEPA).
China saw its SO2 emissions jump by 1.8 percent last year to
total 25.94 million tons, down from the 13.1 percent growth a year
ago. The power sector contributes more than half of the total
pollutants, NDRC figures show.
The NDRC called for open and fair distribution of the discharge
licenses to power firms and tax incentives for companies equipped
with desulfurization facilities.
The NDRC and SEPA would publish an annual list of
desulfurization-equipped power plants and the key projects would
come under public scrutiny.
Firms that deliberately halt the operation of the
desulfurization equipments will be punished, according to the
plan.
China has set a goal in its 11th five-year plan to slice its
energy consumption per unit of domestic gross product (GDP) by 20
percent and the discharges of SO2 and chemical oxygen demand (COD)
by 10 percent between 2006 and 2010.
The rising discharges of SO2 have resulted in one third of China
suffering from acid rain.
(Xinhua News Agency March 28, 2007)