China's Guangdong province to impose tougher industrial pollution curbs

China’s southeastern manufacturing hub Guangdong province is planning to impose tougher emission curbs on its steel, petrochemical and cement firms from June as it bids to meet state air quality standards, the local environment bureau said.

The Guangdong Environmental Protection Bureau said on Tuesday industrial emissions curbs will be extended to the entire province as it aims to bring average concentrations of hazardous, breathable particles – known as PM2.5 – to about 30 micrograms per cubic metre by 2020.

The draft guidelines, issued this week and still subject to public consultation, will force all new plants to meet tougher standards on particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, starting June 6. Existing plants must comply with the new restrictions by December 1.

Firms that do not meet the new requirements will be subject to punitive measures such as production restrictions, fines and even closures, the document said.

Guangdong is the location of the nine million tonne per annum Zhanjiang steel base run by the Baowu Iron and Steel Group. The province produced 28.9 million tonnes of crude steel last year, up 24.7 per cent compared to 2016.