Beijing to shut its last major coal-fired power plant in 2016

The city of Beijing will shutter its last major coal-fired power plant in 2016, Bloomberg reported, citing a statement from the municipality’s economic planning agency. The city’s four coal-fired facilities, of which China Huaneng Group’s 845-megawatt power plant is the last in operation, will be replaced by four gas-fired stations with capacity to supply 2.6 times more electricity than the coal plants. “The replacement with natural gas will be much cleaner with less pollution, though with a bit higher cost,” said Tian Miao, a Beijing-based analyst with research firm North Square Blue Oak.