Operations at Beijing Shougang Group’s No 2 coke oven were officially halted on Saturday after operating for 42 years. The fourth largest steelmaker in China is in the process of relocating to the Hebei province from Beijing in a bid to help reduce pollution over city. The 42 year old oven was commissioned in December 1964 and produced a total of 3.48 million tons of coke, 380, 000 tons of other chemicals as well as 2.6 billion cubic meters of gas coal. Shougang has been reducing their annual output and it will be cut to 4 million tons by 2007. The company’s entire steel operations in Beijing will be halted and then moved to the neighboring Hebei province. (May 22)