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China has ordered eight coal-fired power plants to pay fines after they were accused of violating pollution limits and falsifying emissions data, according to a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection.
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The power plants, in seven different provinces, are affiliated with some of China's biggest power utilities, including China Guodian Corp., China Huadian Corp., China Power Investment Corp. and China Datang Corp. They will all face fines.
The plants were given until the end of the year to fix the problems and had their carbon emission reduction subsidies suspended in the meantime.
China, the world's largest polluter, relies on coal to supply about three-quarters of its booming power generation sector. Controlling this pollution from power plants is a key part of its efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
The plants were found to have exceeded limits on sulphur dioxide emissions in 2010. In some cases, operators had wilfully disabled pollution control or emissions monitoring equipment, in addition to fabricating data to avoid punishment.
A report by the official Xinhua News Agency claims the maximum fine for fabricating emissions data was 50 000 yuan ($7,900). Fines for violating limits on sulphur dioxide emissions ranged up to 100 000 yuan ($15 ,800).
Annual sulphur dioxide emissions from the eight plants caught violating emissions standards totalled 94 427 tons, the government said.
China currently has a goal of reducing sulphur dioxide emissions during 2011 to 2015 – the span of its current five-year plan – by 8 per cent.