BEIJING -- China shut down 253 small coal-fired generating units in the first nine months this year amid nationwide efforts to save energy and reduce emissions, the country's top planning body announced on Monday.

The move, involving a combined capacity of 9.03 million kilowatts, indicated China had completed 90 percent of this year's goal of eliminating outmoded capacity of 10 million kilowatts, said the National Development and Reform Commission in a statement posted on its website.

The closed capacity will be filled up by large and efficient generating units to save 13.6 million tons of coal and cut sulfur dioxide emissions by 230,000 tons and carbon dioxide emissions by 27 million tons every year.

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