Tianjin closes coal-fired power plant to cut pollution

TIANJIN - The northern city of Tianjin, which borders Beijing, closed its last coal-fired power plant in an urban area on Wednesday night, replacing it with a suburban gas-fired one to cut pollution.

The Chentangzhuang Thermal Power Plant shut down three coal-fired power generation units, according to the municipal development and reform commission.

The new plant is expected to be China's largest gas-fired power station, capable of generating 8.3 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and heating 240,000 households.

The move will cut Tianjin's annual coal consumption by 2.33 million tonnes, while the new plant will emit 927 fewer tonnes of sulfur dioxide, 5,169 fewer tonnes of nitric oxide and 140 fewer tonnes of dust per year.

Both of Tianjin's major urban coal-fired power plants have now closed. The Tianjin No.1 Thermal Power Plant, which was founded in 1937, closed on Nov. 18, 2011.

As a major industrial city, Tianjin is among one of the most polluted cities in China.

In September 2013, a five-year plan was introduced in the city to slash coal consumption, promote clean energy use and reduce the production capacities of heavy polluters. It aims to cut the density of PM2.5 in the city by 25 percent in 2017 from 2012 levels.