China to build 50 coal gangue-fired power plants in 2007-10

China will build 50 coal gangue-fired power plants in the 2007-10 period, according to a recent plan by the country's top economic planner National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The 50 power plants will have a total installed capacity of 20 million KW.

This is regarded as a part of the Chinese government plan to economize natural resources and decrease environmental pollution.

As a major coal production country, China's coal gangue has long been regarded as useless by-products of coal production. Rough estimates put that the country's coal gangue that can be used for power generation stands at around 200 million tons a year.