A sputtering coal industry has taken yet another hit, with South Korea temporarily shuttering 10 of its 60 coal-fired power plants in a bid to curb air pollution, reports Reuters.

The shutdown follows through on a government promise last month to idle as many as 15 of the plants through the coldest months of the year, December through February, when air pollution tends to worsen.

Of the 50 plants still online, 41 will be dialed back to 80% capacity, an output projected to be adequate to meet the nation’s needs, said the country’s energy ministry.The powering down of part of South Korea’s coal fleet, which provides Asia’s fourth-largest economy with roughly 40% of its electricity, is the latest in a series of moves that represent a radical shift away from its promise, four Decembers ago, to build 20 new coal power plants by 2021.