Shanxi Province vows to eliminate dirty bulk coal in its most polluted cities

North China's Shanxi Province has pledged to eliminate bulk coal use in its Jinzhong Basin before the 2022 heating season begins later in the year, according to a plan released by the local government to achieve clean heating in winter.

Compared with industry-level coal, bulk coal is for civil use, including small boilers and home heating. However, the burning of bulk coal is considered a major source of air pollution due to its low burning efficiency, experts say.

China's central government has called for using clean coal nationwide, in order to cut carbon dioxide emissions and improve air quality.

According to the plan, the province will focus on cities and counties with severe pollution problems like Taiyuan, Jinzhong and Lüliang, and move to promote clean heating there.

Eight cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the Feiwei Plain are asked to comprehensively assess the operation of existing heating system, reducing residents' winter heating costs and improving the utilization rate of clean equipment by adjusting the local governments' subsidy policies.

The three cities of Taiyuan, Jinzhong and Lüliang are located in the northern part of Shanxi, are required to choose a reasonable transformation path in line with local conditions, mainly through utilizing industrial remnant heat, as well as solar and geothermal energy.