Beijing closes last coal plant in hopes of saving itself

by Walter Einenkel

Daily Kos Staff

Tuesday, Mar. 21, 2017 Tuesday, Mar. 21, 2017 at 8:32:47am PDT

BEIJING, CHINA - DECEMBER 09: Women wear masks to protect against pollution as they visit Tiananmen Square during smog in Tiananmen Square on December 9, 2015 in Beijing, China. The Beijing government issued a 'red alert' Sunday for the first time since new standards were introduced earlier this year as the city and many parts of northern China were shrouded in heavy pollution. Levels of PM 2.5, considered the most hazardous, crossed 400 units in Beijing, lower then last week, but still nearly 20 times the acceptable standard set by the World Health Organization. The governments of more than 190 countries are meeting in Paris to set targets on reducing carbon emissions in an attempt to forge a new global agreement on climate change. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) — I'm at Tiananmen Square. No, seriously, it's somewhere all around me

China has finally closed the last working coal plant in Beijing in an attempt to save the city from becoming completely uninhabitable.

BEIJING, CHINA - DECEMBER 08: A Chinese man and his child wear masks to protest against pollution as they walk through a shopping area in heavy smog on December 8, 2015 in Beijing, China. The Beijing government issued a "red alert" for the first time since new standards were introduced earlier this year as the city and many parts of northern China were shrouded in heavy pollution. Levels of PM 2.5, considered the most hazardous, crossed 400 units in Beijing, lower than last week, but still nearly 20 times the acceptable standard set by the World Health Organization. The governments of more than 190 countries are meeting in Paris to set targets on reducing carbon emissions in an attempt to forge a new global agreement on climate change. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) — This is a real photo

The Huangneng Beijing Thermal Power Plant, the last coal utility in operation in the city, was first brought on line in 1999. Beijing has over five million more people living it since, meaning more energy, more coal, more cars, and more health problems associated with pollution. It has five coal-fired power plants with a total installed capacity of 845,000 kilowatts. Du Chengzhang, the plant’s general manager, told Xinhua news agency on Sunday that the plant was "an efficient and environmental friendly plant with advanced emission treatment equipment."

But after the suspension of the plant on Saturday, roughly 1.76 million tons of coal, 91 tons of sulfur dioxide and 285 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions a year will be cut, Xinhua reported.

Beijing is hoping to right the ship on what has been probably the most easily understandable example of what pollution can do to a major city. Right now, the fix has been to move to a combination of natural gas and nuclear power, but this too is unsustainable.

BEIJING, CHINA - NOVEMBER 19: A Chinese man rides a bicylce as a coal fired power plant is seen in the background on November 19, 2014 in Beijing, China. United States President Barack Obama and China's president Xi Jinping agreed on a plan to limit carbon emissions by their countries which are the world's two biggest polluters at a summit in Beijing last week. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) — Photo taken within the 21st Century

While gas emission levels were relatively better than coal, gas wasn't "the ultimate solution" as it still produced nitrogen oxide pollution which affects air quality, he said.

"If we want to solve the problem of climate change and air pollution, of which coal and fossil fuels are the cause, we should transfer to renewable energy," he said.

And in order for Beijing to get their air to levels that don’t frighten science fiction writers, the surrounding areas will also have to up their energy game.

In the Hebei capital of Shijiazhuang, average concentrations of small breathable particles known as PM2.5 were higher than 500 micrograms per cubic metre for three consecutive days last week, 50 times higher than World Health Organization recommendations.

The need to get on top of renewable energy for any major city is important not only for China but the rest of the world, because all jokes aside, the last thing I want to hear an American politician run on is this statement:

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pledged at the opening of China's annual parliament this month "we will make our skies blue again", with a plan that included cutting coal use, upgrading coal-fired power plants and encouraging clean energy use.

Ugh.