Can this smog-sucking tower solve Beijing’s pollution woes?

A huge air purifier, which claims to be the biggest in the world, has been unveiled in Beijing in an attempt to relieve the city from frequent bouts of heavy air pollution, a long-existing problem for the capital.

 Designed by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde, the seven-meter-high purifier, called the “Smog-Free Tower,” was installed in the arty 751-D Park area in the east of Beijing on Thursday, after completing a trial run in Rotterdam last year.

The tower basically acts as a giant vacuum cleaner for smog. It captures small pollution particles – PM2.5 and PM10 – and releases clean air, leaving the surrounding area approximately 75 percent cleaner, Roosegaarde said to CNN Money ahead of its unveiling in Beijing.

It is reported that the tower can clean 30,000 cubic meters of air every hour, and the pollution particles it sucks in are subject to high pressure for around half hour, before being sealed within a tight resin cube as a “smog gemstone” that can be used for jewelry.

Beijing has struggled with serious pollution for a long time. Last year, the city issued its first ever red alert for heavy pollution, the highest possible alert in the city’s four-tier warning system. To fight back against smog, the city has invested 760 billion yuan (roughly 114 billion US dollars) since 2014.