The World Bank has approved a $100 million (£70.6m) loan for a district heating project in China.

The Hebei Clean Heating Project aims to improve the energy efficiency and environmental performance of heating in the municipalities of Chengde, Xingtai and Zhangjiakou and Pungshan County.

It will expand and modernise heating systems, scale up heat metering, use waste heat from power plans and industry and switch to natural gas where possible.

Yuriy Myroshnychenko, World Bank Task Team Leader for the project said: “The project will help four heating companies use best practices in district heating and will generate practical experiences and lessons learned that will be shared in Hebei and other northern provinces in China.

“The project is part of a larger engagement in energy efficiency and air pollution control in the Jing-Jin-Ji Region.”

Ealier this month the Scottish Government pledged £10.6 million for a district heating project.