Beijing: The closure of Beijing's last big coal-fired power station, which had dominated the skyline of the city's outskirts for 18 years, has been welcomed by environmental groups, who hope China will maintain momentum on its ambitious clean energy targets.

Beijing had promised in 2013 to have its four coal-fired power stations shut down by this year.

Boys look at a phone next to a coal-fired power plant on the outskirts of Beijing in November. Credit:Getty Images

The Huaneng Beijing Thermal Power Plant shut its coal-fired power generator on Saturday. The move was trumpeted in state media as making Beijing the first coal-free city for electricity and heating in China.

Beijing's mayor, Cai Qi, was quoted as saying: "Replacing coal with clean energy is not only to deal with air pollution but also a requirement of the company's transformation."