Beijing to replace coal-fired heating plants

China’s capital, Beijing, will replace four coal-fired heating plants with natural gas heating plants by the end of next year in an effort to clean up pollution, Reuters reported, citing state media. The report by Xinhua News Agency, citing the city’s Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, said the four plants and some 40 other related projects would cost around US$8 billion (RMB48 billion) and cut sulphur dioxide emissions by 10,000 metric tons. It did not detail the related projects. The plan is the latest official action to deal with a persistent smog crisis in China’s big cities.