IN BRIEF (Page 5)

Small collieries closed

The State Administration of Work Safety (SAWA) said that China closed 10,412 coal mines in the last three years in an effort to improve workplace safety and to check inefficient use of natural resources.

The government had set a target of closing about 10,000 small coalmines between August 2005 to mid-2008. Such mines accounted for one-third of China's total coal output but two-thirds of deaths in colliery accidents.

Outdated smelting cut

China phased out 29.4 million tons of outdated iron smelting capacity and 15.21 million tons of outdated steel smelting capacity by the end of last November, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said last week.

The NDRC signed a second group of obligation contracts with 18 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities last Thursday to eliminate 49.31 million tons of outdated iron smelting capacity and 36.1 million tons of outdated steel smelting capacity by 2010. The agreements include 573 enterprises and include Baosteel, the country's biggest iron and steel manufacturer.

Three Gorges output

China's Three Gorges hydropower project generated 61.6 billion kWh of electricity last year, about 25 percent more power than in 2006.

By the end of 2007 the hydropower station had transmitted 207 billion kWh of electricity to 11 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions since it started operation in July 2003.

Currently, 21 turbines are operational with a total installed capacity of 13.3 million kW. Five more turbines will be added by the end of the year, according to its operator, the China Three Gorges Project Corporation.

Wooden door standards

Twenty-three domestic wooden door companies have been certified by the China Building Material Test and Certification Center, the first in the country.

According to the center, products of these companies meet both quality and environmental standards. Statistics show that wood door production in China is 120 million sq m a year, equaling the combined total of European countries, but much of it is made by small companies using outdated technology.

Beijing air improvement

The State Environmental Protection Administration said Beijing's air in 2007 met quality standards for 246 days, five days more than in 2006.

According to Du Shaozhong, the improvement is the result of several moves by the Beijing municipal government to control pollution, including installation of dust removal, de-sulfurization and de-nitrification equipment on the city's four biggest coal-fired power plants.

Yunnan plants biofuel

Jatropha planting has been completed on a 65,900-acre demonstration site in southwest China's Yunnan Province by the State Forestry Administration and PetroChina Co Ltd.

Yunnan plans to greatly enlarge production bio-ethanol and biofuel using the oily jatropha bush, with 1.65 million acres expected to be under cultivation in 10 to 15 years.

Tibetan firewood reduction

The finance bureau of the Tibet Autonomous Region said it would allocate 24 million yuan to develop methane from cattle and solar energy to replace firewood.

There are more than 9,800 methane facilities in Tibet, which can save 2 tons of coal and firewood and produce 4,000 yuan for each local farmer and herdsman.

The Tibetan government said it plans to thoroughly promote solar, biomass and geothermal energy resources over the next 10 years.

(China Daily 01/05/2008 page5)