Beijing plants to limit production during Olympics

21 April 2008 15:27  [Source: ICIS news]

SHANGHAI(ICIS news)--Some large chemical plants would have to close or reduce operation to improve air quality during the Olympic and Paralympic games, according to a Beijing Municipal announcement on 14 April, sources said on Monday.

 

The website announcement said the government would suspend or reduce production in more than 20 heavy polluting factories from 20 July to 20 September.

 

Organisations from various business sectors were sparing no effort to ensure good air quality so that the Beijing Olympics could expect to be played against a blue sky backdrop, a source said.

 

Sinopec subsidiary Yanshan Petrochemical said it would reduce operation rates of some facilities in the Fanshan district of Beijing and halt a section of its operations during the games, among other measures to cut pollution discharge by 30%.

 

“We have closed our factory and stopped production. No-one knows if we will still exist after the Olympics,” a source from the Beijing No. 2 chemical factory said.

 

The Beijing No 4 Chemical Factory, another major player, said it would arrange a one-to-two-month turnaround of all plants during the Games, a company source told ICIS news.

 

“During the period, city transport will be restricted, and our products could not be delivered to other cities. So we will turn around to compensate some losses,” he said.

 

“I think it will have little impact on our profit as we have prepared well for the Olympics,” he added.

 

The Eastern Chemical Factory, a subsidiary of Beijing Eastern Petrochemical Co, was required to stop operation by government order during the period but the company declined to comment.

 

Yu Xiuqin, deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics, said the impact would not be big as these factories would take measures in advance.

 

Some steel companies and factories producing construction materials would also be shut down at the same time, a source said.

By: Judith Wang
+65 6780 4359

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