SHIJIAZHUANG - The World Bank has approved loans of $100 million to North China's Hebei province to help build a clean energy heating system, the provincial finance department announced on Tuesday.

Hebei will use natural gas and excess heat from local power plants and other facilities to supplement and replace less environmentally-friendly heating in the cities of Chengde, Zhangjiakou and Xingtai, and Pingshan county.

Almost 130 km of heating pipes will be built or reconstructed, 253 heating-transfer stations will be rebuilt, and heat meters will be installed in 1,340 residential buildings.

With an investment of 1.53 billion yuan ($232.6 million), including the World Bank loans, the better heating system will help Hebei save energy and cut emissions.

If the project is successful, similar systems may be installed elsewhere in the province, said the finance department.

Upon completion of the project, 103 coal-fired boilers in Chengde, Zhangjiakou, Xingtai and Pingshan will be dismantled. It is estimated that the project will help save 155,000 tons of standard coal a year while cutting annual emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, soot and nitric oxide by 542,000 tons, 4,400 tons, 9,336 tons and 4,957 tons respectively.