From Reuters via Planetark:
China is planning to shut down small cement plants across the country over the next two years, as the latest step in its efforts to improve energy efficiency, combat pollution and upgrade its industry.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the powerful economic planning agency, said in a recent notice that provincial governments would be required to shut all cement plants with annual capacity of less than 200,000 tons by the end of 2008. The notice was published on several industry Web sites.
Overall, the NDRC plans to eliminate 250 million tonnes in outdated cement capacity by 2010 as a way of contributing to the nation’s targets for cutting energy consumption and pollution during that time period, it said.[Full Text]
