Weather & Science
Shanghai Plant Burns 800 Tons of Coal an Hour to Keep City Cool
- Waigaoqiao facility is word’s fifth-biggest coal power plant
- China burning more fossil fuels to cope with extreme heat
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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.