Boiler renovation to ensure clean Beijing air
( 2002-10-29 13:54) (Xinhua)
Beijing residents are expected to inhale 8,500 tons less of sulfur dioxide
and 4,300 tons less of soot this winter, thanks to an effective endeavor in the
Chinese capital to rebuild coal-burning boilers, the Beijing Morning Post
reported Tuesday.
By the end of this month, 1,681 coal-burning boilers will have been renovated
to use clean energy such as natural gas, oil and thermal heat, overfulfilling
the original goal of 1,500 boilers set for the year, sources from the Beijing
Municipal Environment Protection Bureau revealed.
The municipality consumes approximately 27 million tons of coalevery year and
coal-burning is regarded a major cause of air pollution in the Chinese capital
since it produces black smoke, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and other
pollutants.
Rebuilding coal-burning boilers to consume clean energy is a major part of
Beijing's air quality control campaign. So far, morethan 44,000 tea-boilers and
big stoves have been retooled and some10,000 boilers in the outskirts began to
use clean energy, which jointly cut down the consumption of over 4 million tons
of coal, reduce 32,000 tons of sulfur dioxide and 20,000 tons of smoke and dust,
the newspaper reports.
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