Shanghai power plant burns 800 tons of coal an hour to keep city cool
On a sprawling riverside industrial complex about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Shanghai’s gleaming downtown skyscrapers, a massive power plant is burning as much as 800 tons of coal an hour to keep the city cool.
A heat wave is scorching China, killing livestock and straining electricity grids across the country. Temperatures in Beijing soared to as high as 39C (102F) on Thursday, and the National Meteorological Center issued a low-level heat alert, advising against outdoor activities.
In Shanghai, the Waigaoqiao power plant — the second-largest coal-fired facility in China and the fifth-biggest in the world — has ramped up generation since the start of the month to cope with the hot weather, a company spokesman said during a tour of the plant on Thursday.
