REPORT / INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Beijing is closing its last major coal power station next year in an attempt to tackle air pollution which is costing the economy more than 10% of its GDP.

Bloomberg reported that the state-owned, 845-megawatt power plant will close in 2016. Last week, another two coal-fired power stations were closed down in the Chinese capital, adding to the first plant closure in 2014. The facilities will be replaced by gas-powered plants, which produce less harmful emissions and can supply 2.6 times more electricity. In September, a report by the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate found that air pollution caused by the most dangerous kind of particulate matter - known as PM 2.5 - was linked to around 1.23 million premature deaths in China in 2010, costing around 13% of GDP in lost economic activity.

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 http://www.newsweek.com/beijing-shuts-down-coal-power-plants-air-pollution-costs-economy-316829