Coal-dependent Shanxi province is to lead the country in developing green resources.
A coal pile in China Image: Timquinjano |
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Shanxi has been China's powerhouse thanks to its enormous coal reserves. Since then, it is estimated to have excavated over 13 billion tons of coal, of which around 9 billion have been shipped to other areas of China.
In 2011, coal output had risen to record-highs of 870 million tons a year, about a quarter of the countries total. Now, provincial head Wang Jun is redesigning Shanxi's future to become more reliant on green energy.
Spearheaded by Jun, the province has declared itself a “pilot economic transformation zone”, slowly moving away from its reliance on coal as new government policies may see emissions levies rise over the next few years. Figures from Shanxi government show that last year, investment in non-coal industries reached CNY209.7 billion ($33.2 billion as the province promotes new industries such as manufacturing, new materials, logistics and tourism.
One coal-heavy city, Shuozhou, has invested around CNY1 billion ($158 million) planting 22,000 hectares of forest to combat the pollution produced by the mines. The city is also using advanced technology to process coal gangue, a waste product from coal mining, to power a 2.67 million kWh generator, the largest of its kind in China.