Major polluting emissions in China have been on a large-scale decline in the first six months of 2015, statistics released by the Ministry of Environmental Protection on Sunday revealed.

According to Liu Bingjiang, head of the Department of Total Pollutants Control, year-on-year figures showed that the emission of chemical oxygen demand, ammoniacal nitrogen, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide decreased by 2.9 percent, 3.18 percent, 4.63 percent and 8.8 percent respectively in the first half of 2015.

China increased daily sewage treatment capacity by 3.5 million tons, with total daily capacity achieving 175 million tons. Regulations were put in place for 270 paper-making, printing and dyeing operations requiring further treatment and recycling of wastewater.

During the first six months, power plants that remove nitrogen oxide reached a capacity of 750 million kilowatts, accounting for 87 percent of total installed thermal power capacity.

Coal-fired power plants that remove sulfur dioxide now accounted for 96 percent of total installed coal-fired power capacity in China at the end of June.

China also increased gas usage by 750 million cubic meters, replacing 1.7 million tons of coal, in its nationwide coal-to-gas projects.

(Xinhua News Agency September 6, 2015)