Harbin, capital of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, will work to upgrade its coal-fired boilers In order to continue improving its air quality, according to information released by the Harbin environment bureau on May 28.

According to a work plan, a total of 140 coal-fired boilers with a heating supply capacity of 65 T/h or more located in the city’s downtown area will be renovated before the beginning of the 2020 heat supply season to meet the ultra-low emissions standards for smoke and dust.

In addition, another 50 boilers will be upgraded to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions and 20 boilers will be upgraded to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.

Statistics reveal that Harbin has a total of 156 boilers with a heating supply capacity of 65 T/h or more, 16 of which were upgraded in 2018. This has increased the number of days in the city in which the air quality was rated as either “good” or “excellent”.

“Coal-fired sources contribute 31 percent of PM 10 emissions and 36 percent of PM2.5 emissions, making them the biggest contributors to pollution in the city,” said an employee at the Harbin environment bureau.

The ultra-low emissions upgrade for coal-fired boilers is mainly meant to reduce emissions of particulate matter into the atmosphere, thereby reducing the concentration of pollutants and improving air quality.