Shanxi province in northwest China has suspended the approval of new ferroalloy, aluminum and steel projects in 2016 as part of air pollution control plans, the provincial government said Wednesday.
The suspension is also aimed at reducing surplus supply in the sectors, the provincial government said in a report on its website.
Shanxi's steel and nonferrous metal sectors are high consumers of energy and water, resulting in pollution and water shortages, according to the government.
It is aiming to improve air quality and lower emissions by streamlining its industry structure.
The province also targets scrapping 33,000 outdated vehicles and banning high emission vehicles from January 1, 2017.
Shanxi was among China's 10 largest aluminum producing provinces in 2015, producing 660,257 mt of refined aluminum in the year, down 20% from 2014, data from the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association showed.
