Shandong province suspends winter cement manufacturing

China's industrial hub of Shandong province is ruling that cement producers must curb operations during the winter to reduce air pollution, according to an official announcement.

The measure will be in effect from 15 November 2024 until 15 March 2025, according to a notice jointly issued by the northern province's industry and environment ministries, and follows a similar regulation enacted last winter.

Shandong's industrial sector relies heavily on captive coal-fired power plants, so the measure could weigh on coal demand in the coming months. These tend to be smaller coal plants which are less efficient and therefore emit more pollutants per amount of energy generated.