China's first coal-liquefaction plant is up and running. Located in Inner Mongolia, the facility is run by the state-owned Shenhua Group.

According to a statement issued by Shenhua last week, the plant has been turning coal into liquid fuel and chemical products since December. The technique, which is also widely used in South Africa, has been criticized for its high emissions of carbon dioxide.

Last year, the Chinese government issued a moratorium on new coal-liquefaction facilities, but allowed Shenhua to complete its Mongolia plant and continue work on a second. The company says it is developing ways to capture and store the CO2 emitted during the process.