Tianjin to ban haphazard coal burning by 2018

North China's Tianjin Municipality Wednesday said it plans to ban haphazard coal burning by the end of 2018 in order to reduce air pollution.

A total of 1.21 million households in Tianjin, which borders Beijing, will switch from coal-fired heating sources to gas and electric sources by the end of 2018, said Wen Wurui, director of Tianjin Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau.

Wen said 610,000 households will switch to clean energy by the end of this year, and the rest will shift next year.

Coal burning contributes up to to 25 percent of the PM 2.5, airborne particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter, in Tianjin, Wen said.

Local authorities have taken measures to reduce coal consumption, improve coal quality, raise emission standards and curb haphazard coal burning.

Tianjin plans to cut annual coal consumption by another 2.6 million tonnes this year after reducing it by 10 million tonnes between 2013 and 2016.

Meanwhile, it has renovated 41 coal-fired power generators to lower emissions levels.

Authorities in Tianjin and neighboring Hebei Province previously ordered heavily polluting industries, including steel, casting and coking, to restrict production and cut emissions in the winter heating period.

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region sits in the heart of the North China Plain where air pollution, particularly winter smog, often occurs as a result of the high concentration of industrial and vehicle emissions, limited air circulation and the burning of coal.

More residents are increasingly worried about the health impacts, particularly of PM 2.5. The smaller particles pose a greater health threat as they can get deeper into the lungs than larger particles.

China has set a target to reduce the average PM 2.5 level by at least 15 percent in the cities around the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region between October 2017 and March 2018, compared to last year's level.