**Analysis | China’s air pollution worsens as coal production surges**
**By** [Emily Feng](https://www.voanews.com/authors/emily-feng), **VOA News**
**October 27, 2020 09:05 AM**
**BEIJING -** Air pollution in China’s major cities worsened in the first half of October, the peak of power production season, as coal-fired power plants raced to fulfill rising electricity demands amid an economic rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to recently released data from China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, air quality in 337 cities across the country declined about 10% in the first half of October, compared with the same period last year. The concentration of PM2.5, tiny particulate matter that can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause a range of health problems, rose by 18% in those cities.
Coal-fired power plants were a major contributor to the rise in pollution. In September, China’s coal production saw its biggest monthly increase on record, with production capacity hitting an all-time high. As a result, coal consumption in September surpassed the pre-pandemic level, reaching its highest monthly level since May 2018.
The increased coal consumption has pushed up coal prices, making it more expensive for power plants to operate. In response, some power plants in China have cut back on their production, leading to power shortages in some parts of the country.
The power shortages have added to the strain on China’s power grid, which is already struggling to cope with the rising demand for electricity. The country’s power consumption grew by 5.8% in the first nine months of this year, outpacing the 3.9% growth in the same period last year.
Analysts say that China’s coal-fired power plants are likely to continue to operate at high levels in the coming months, as the country’s economy continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. This could lead to further deterioration in air quality in China’s major cities.
In addition to coal-fired power plants, other sources of air pollution, such as vehicle emissions and industrial activities, have also contributed to the worsening air quality in China’s major cities.
The Chinese government has been taking steps to reduce air pollution, including promoting the use of renewable energy and electric vehicles. However, the country still has a long way to go to meet its air quality goals.
According to a recent report by Greenpeace, China is home to 22 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities. The report also found that air pollution is responsible for an estimated 1.8 million premature deaths in China each year.
The worsening air quality in China’s major cities is a serious public health concern. The government needs to take more aggressive action to reduce air pollution, including accelerating the transition to renewable energy and implementing stricter emission standards for vehicles and industries.
**VOA Mandarin’s Emily Feng contributed to this report.**.
