People’s Daily Online

China’s power plants to cut sulfur dioxide emissions by two thirds

China plans to cut sulfur dioxide (SO2) discharges from its coal-fired power plants by 62 percent by 2010 in an effort to reduce air pollution.

The realization of the target was vital to clean up the air and reach the goal set by the government in its 11th five-year plan to cut nationwide discharges of SO2 by 10 percent by 2010, said an official with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on Tuesday.

The SO2 discharged by coal-fueled power generators is expected to drop from 13 million tons in 2005 to 5.02 million tons in 2010, according to a plan released by NDRC and the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA).

China saw its SO2 emissions jump by 1.8 percent last year to total 25.94 million tons, down from the 13.1 percent growth a year ago. The power sector contributes more than half of the total pollutants, NDRC figures show.

The NDRC called for open and fair distribution of the discharge licenses to power firms and tax incentives for companies equipped with desulfurization facilities. ….([1] Full Story)
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Note by folc.ca:
China’s total annual SO2 emissions roughly equal the amount of SO2 that would be produced if 43 percent of the World’s current [2] waste-sulphur inventory (sulphur blocks) would go up in flames.