Old power plants to go in new rules

China will require firms wanting to build new coal-fired power plants to shut down smaller, older generators at the same time as part of a drive to boost energy efficiency and cut back pollution.

The energy policy-setting National Development and Reform Commission said that to build a 300-megawatt power station, 240 MW of capacity must be decommissioned.

For larger, more efficient new stations, the amount of old capacity that must be put out of service is lower - 420 MW for a new 600 MW station and just 600 MW for a 1 gigawatt generator.

China aims to elimate small generating plants with capacity amounting to 50GW, around 8 percent of the country's total, by the end of the decade. This includes 7 to 10 GW of fuel oil-fired capacity.

Coal-powered plants with capacity under 50 MW will be ordered to close by 2010, as will 100 MW generators in operation for 20 years or more.

The NDRC said generators with coal consumption more than 10 percent above the average in their province or 15 percent higher than the national average were also targeted for closure.

China aims to cut the amount of energy it uses per dollar of national income by 20 percent by 2010 as part of a drive to curb growing pollution and dependence on foreign oil, but failed to meet its target last year by a wide margin.