China exceeded its 2007 target of closing small coal-fired generators by 43 percent, amid increased efforts to save energy and cut emissions, the country's top planning body said on Sunday.

A total of 553 such generating units, with a combined capacity of 14.38 million kilowatts, had been closed by December 27, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a statement posted on its web site.

The government had set a target of eliminating 10 million kilowatts of obsolete capacity.

The output of the shuttered plants will be replaced by large, efficient generating units to save 18.8 million tons of coal and cut sulfur dioxide emissions by 290,000 tons and carbon dioxide emissions by 37.6 million tons every year.

China has been building large-scale power plants to save energy and reduce emissions. The country plans to close small, inefficient coal-fired generators with a total capacity of 50 million kilowatts by 2010.

(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2007)