MEP Releases Emission Reduction Results of All Provinces and Five Major Power Groups

Source：Ministry of Environmental Protection The PRC

MEP spokesperson Tao Detian reveals to the press that MEP, together with NDRC, National Bureau of Statistics of China and Ministry of Supervision, has completed evaluation on all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities and five major power groups on their emission reduction performance in 2008. The evaluation results indicate the 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities), five major power groups and State Grid Corporation of China have achieved their reduction target for 2008. However, 8 cities (Cangzhou, Hebei Province, Jinzhong, Shanxi Province, Suihua, Heilongjiang Province, Sanming and Jinjiang, Fujian Province, Shiyan, Hubei Province, Yongzhou of Hunan and Shangluo, Shaanxi Province) and 5 power plants (Chentang Thermal Power Plant, Tianjin, E'zhou Power Plant, Hubei, Luzhou Chuannan Power Plant, Sichuan, Yaxi Power Plant, Guizhou and Jingyuan No. 2 Power Plant, Gansu) were punished and asked to take rectification measures within a set time period due to serious problems found.

Tao Detian said the CPC Central Committee and the State Council paid high attention to pollution reduction in 2008. Local governments also implemented the measures seriously by using legal, economic, technical and administrative instruments. Daily municipal sewage treatment capacity grew by 11.49 million tons and newly added coal-burning desulphurization units totaled 97,120 MW. Some outdated energy-intensive and heavy pollution capacity was phased out. Total COD discharges across the country stood at 13.207 million tons, down 4.42% against that of 2007, SO2 emissions amounted to 23.212 million tons, down 5.95%. Compared with that of 2005, total discharges of COD and SO2 reduced by 6.61% and 8.95% respectively, which not only maintained a good momentum of declining discharges, but also achieving the target ahead of schedule for the first time. All provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) and Xinjiang Production & Construction Corps are well-done by meeting the reduction target of COD and SO2 discharges. The five major power group, namely Huaneng, Datang, Huadian, Guodian and China Power Investment Corporation and State Grid Corporation have accomplished reduction target of SO2 emissions. 27 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) including Beijing saw downward trend of both discharges since 2007, among which Beijing had the biggest slash in SO2 emissions, down by 18.8%, while Shanghai and Hebei Province led others in COD reductions, down by 9.4%. Remarkable progress was made in SO2 emission reduction by power industry, which fell by 14.5% against 2007. SO2 emissions of the five major power groups dropped by 17.9% (evaluation results shown in Annex I and II). 

Tao Detian noted all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities and the five power groups did a good job in 2008, but some problems still existed in some areas and companies in sewage treatment and operation of desulphurization facilities. These included urban sewage treatment plants in Cangzhou, Hebei, Jinzhong, Shanxi, Suihua, Heilongjiang, Sanming and Jinjiang of Fujian Province, Shiyan, Hubei, Yongzhou, Hunan and Shangluo, Shaanxi. Above cities were found to have particularly sluggish development of sewage treatment facilities, noncompliance of charging policies, operation of facilities under low load in the long run or inactive facilities without any reason. Five power plants including Tianjin Chentang Thermal Power Plant, Hubei E'zhou Power Plant, Sichuan Luzhou Chuannan Power Plant, Guizhou Yaxi Power Plant and Gansu Jingyuan No.2 Power Plant did not have their desulphurization facilities operate in normal condition or falsified their on-line monitoring data of flue gas.

It was decided to order the eight cities to complete rectification by the end of this year according to related provisions. Those fail to meeting the rectification requirement or complete rectification in due time will be suspended approval of environmental impact assessment on construction projects adding to COD discharges and national development funds for related projects will be withheld. The five power plants will be deprived of desulphurized power tariff for power generated when desulphurization facilities were shut down and be subject to punishment according to law.

Tao stressed, related personnel of local departments or companies failed to pass the evaluation and not meet the rectification requirement, or those arose negative social impact due to slack work will be prosecuted by the supervisory department according to Provisional Regulations on Punishment of Environmental Violations as specified in Evaluation Measures for Reduction of Total Discharges of Major Pollutants.

Annex I:  

Evaluation Results of Provinces, Autonomous Regions and Municipalities in 2008

Note: The bulletin does not include data of Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR and Taiwan Province.

　　 Annex II:

Evaluation Results of Five Major Power Groups in 2008

Note: data does not include that of thermal power plants purchased by the five groups in 2008

(This English version is for your reference only.In case any discrepancy exists between the Chinese and English context, the Chinese version shall prevail.)