China to Reduce Sulfur Dioxide Emissions

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 20, 2002

China to Reduce Sulfur Dioxide Emissions

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China has issued an industrial policy relating to coal production, consumption and pollution control in order to drastically reduce the amount of sulfur dioxide released from chimneys across the country.

By 2005 total emissions of sulfur dioxide in China will be 10 percent lower than in 2000, according to the country's environmental pollution control plan for the 2001-2005 period.

The new policy is designed to help China achieve the above goal by pushing major coal consumers, such as thermal power plants, factories using coal-burning boilers, and facilities providing heating to urban residents, to help decrease the release of sulfur dioxide.

Combustion of coal contributes to more than 90 percent of the sulfur dioxide in China's atmosphere. The acid gas turns into acid rain when it is combined with rain or snow and is harmful to the environment.

About one third of China, mainly the densely-populated and industrialized south, has so far fallen victim to acid rains.

State authorities which oversee industrial development and environmental protection hope that through implementation of the policy, many more thermal power stations and large factories will install desulfuration equipment when burning high-sulfur coal.

Meanwhile, medium-sized and small enterprises lacking desulfuration equipment will have to use the coal with lower content of sulfur. Cities are asked to replace coal with cleaner energy, such as electricity or natural gas, in central heating systems and for daily use.

The policy was jointly worked out by the State Economic and Trade Commission, the State Environmental Protection Administration and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

China Fighting Acid Rain, Sulfur Dioxide

China has decreased the release of sulfur dioxide by 1.86 million tons over the past two years as a result of its efforts to combat acid rain and sulfur dioxide control.

A total of 98 cities in the designated acid rain and sulfur dioxide control regions have met national standards, said the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) on July 25, 2000. (In Detail)

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