Smoke billows from chimneys of a power plant in Weifang, East China's Shandong province in this Dec 3, 2009 file photo.[Photo/Asianewsphoto]

BEIJING - China has published a stricter emission standard for thermal power plants in order to help reduce the power industry's sulfur dioxide emissions by over six million metric tons by 2015.

The new standard, jointly issued by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, was published on the ministry's website on Wednesday.

The new standard will take effect from 2012 and replace the current one, which was issued in 2003.

After the implementation of the new standard, sulfur dioxide emissions from the country's power industry are expected to be reduced by 6.18 million metric tons by 2015, while oxynitride emissions will be reduced by 5.8 million metric tons, said Tao Detian, a spokesman for the ministry.