XINING - A laboratory for improving heating efficiency in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau was set up Tuesday in Xining, capital of Northwest China's Qinghai province.

The province, with an average altitude of over 4,058 meters, has a relatively low temperature. The heating season can last almost half a year in some places, and heating is often inefficient due to the thin air and insufficient burn of fuel.

China Special Equipment Inspection and Research Institute signed a deal with Qinghai's bureau of market supervision to work on addressing issues including low energy effciency and high pollutant emissions.

The laboratory will strive to create a platform for testing the energy efficiency of boilers and fuel burning equipment, as well as other special equipment tailored to the plateau, according to the deal.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers, and viewed as China's major water conservation and ecological protection area.