China’s biggest steel province gets tough on mills with ultra-low emissions targets in war on smog
Newly built producers face fresh restrictions from 2019, while existing ones must comply from 2020, as country’s war on air pollution continues
Hebei province, China’s biggest steel producer, will force all its mills to comply with strict new emissions standards by 2020 as part of its campaign against air pollution, according to newly published industry guidelines.
In a policy document, the provincial environmental protection agency said newly built steel producers would be forced to comply with “ultra-low” emissions restrictions starting from 2019, while existing firms would be given until October 2020 to meet the new standards.
Particulate matter emissions will need to be kept within 10 micrograms per cubic metre, sulphur dioxide within 35 micrograms and nitrogen oxides within 50 micrograms, according to the document, which has been circulated by industry consultancies and reviewed by Reuters.
The new standards are more stringent than the state limits, which stand at 40, 180 and 300 micrograms respectively.
Hebei province, which surrounds the capital Beijing, is routinely the location of six of China’s 10 smoggiest cities, and has been on the front line of the country’s war on pollution, now in its fifth year.