China halts over 100 coal-fired power projects

[BEIJING] China's energy regulator has ordered 11 provinces to stop more than 100 coal-fired power projects, some of which are under construction, with a combined installed capacity of more than 100 gigawatts, Caixin reported on Tuesday.

In a document issued on Jan 14 , Caixin said, the National Energy Administration (NEA) suspended coal projects already under construction in some provinces and autonomous regions including Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi and other northwestern regions.

About 430 billion yuan (S$88.90 billion) was invested in these projects.

The move is in line with the government's prolonged effort to produce power from renewable sources such as solar and wind, and wean the country off coal, which accounts for the majority of the nation's power supply.

In October, the NEA said it would postpone construction of some coal-fired plants that already had approvals.

REUTERS