Capital of China's coal province bans coal sales

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Taiyuan, the capital city of north China's Shanxi Province and synonymous with coal production, has banned the sale, transport and use of most coal as it tries to tackle air pollution ahead of the winter.

The ban took effect from Sunday, restricting companies and individuals "other than major steel and power plants" from selling, transporting or burning coal in the urban area of Taiyuan, it said.

The ban was expected to cut coal use by more than 2 million tonnes, or 90 percent of the city's total consumption, it said.

Shanxi's coal industry /VCG Photo

Dou Lifen, head of the city's environmental protection bureau, said coal remains the biggest source for air pollution during the city's winter months.

China has ordered Beijing and nearby provinces, including Shanxi, to limit concentrations of airborne pollutants and meet key smog targets in more than two dozen cities starting this month and lasting until March. That period is when air pollution typically increases as more coal is burned to provide heat during the winter.

Taiyuan was replacing coal-burning household heating equipment with electric and natural gas heaters. /VCG Photo

According to Xinhua, Taiyuan was replacing coal-burning household heating equipment with electric and natural gas heaters. By winter, the city will renovate heating equipment for 134,000 households in rural and urban areas, replacing coal furnaces with electric or natural gas heaters.

After a series of moves, including automobile exhaust and dust control, Taiyuan is expected to see reduction of PM 2.5 and sulfur dioxide by 45 percent, and days of heavy air pollution down 40 percent year on year to 22 days in 2017.

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