Hebei said it eliminated 4.56 million metric tons of ironmaking capacity and 6.8 million tons of steelmaking capacity in three cities on Sunday, marking the start of the province's campaign to cut excess production capacity.

On Sunday, a total of 10 blast furnaces and 16 basic oxygen furnaces were dismantled in Tangshan, Handan and Chengde, the Xinhua News Agency reported. With the demolition of the facilities, about 2.76 million tons of coal can be saved, and sulfur dioxide emissions will be cut by 9,800 tons.

The State Council, China's cabinet, has set a target to cut 80 million tons of steel production within five years. Hebei - the largest steel production area in the country and one of the most polluted provinces - will cut 60 million tons of steel capacity by the end of 2017. Hebei's steel production capacity is 200 million tons annually, and the province has topped the chart in China for 12 consecutive years.