China's Yangtze River Delta targets 2% PM2.5 cut this winter

SHANGHAI, Nov 13 (SMM) – Anti-pollution controls across China’s Yangtze River Delta region for the 2019/2020 winter appears to be less stringent than a year earlier, as authorities set the target of cutting concentrations of tiny airborne smog particles known as PM2.5 at 2%, below the target of 3% last year. 

During October 1-March 31, 2020, the numbers of extremely polluted days should be reduced by 2% year on year, also down from last year’s 3% target.

Forty-one cities of the manufacturing hub are covered in the winter cut, according to the latest action plan issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) on November 12.

Unlike the previous year, MEE highlighted that production curbs of different levels will be imposed in key industries such as iron and steel, coke, alumina, aluminium, carbon, and copper smelting, with producers being categorised into three groups. 

Steel mills whose capacity utilisation rate exceeded 120% in 2018 will face stricter cutbacks. Major steelmaking regions will also push more mills to meet ultra-low emissions standards this winter.

Commodity shipments such as iron ore and coke at major ports in China will be switched to water or rail transport by the end of October 2020, another move to reduce air pollution.