China’s coal supply to top 3 bln tons by 2010
China, the world’s largest coal consumer, announced coal demand and supply will achieve a fundamental balance by 2010 through boosting capacity on robust energy demand, according to sources.
Currently, the nation’s annual coal production capacity is two billion tons and capacity for another 1.1 billion tons a year is being added, said Wang Xianzheng, chairman of the China Coal Industry Association.
China’s coal industry is now undergoing deepened reform and further development. Under the plan, the country will focus on the construction of 13 big coal bases. By 2010, the capacity of those big-scaled bases is expected to reach 2.24 billion tons a year, accounting for 86% of the country’s total.
Meanwhile, the government will cut small-mine capacity to less than 700 million tons a year from the current one billion tons by 2010.
In 2007, China produced 2.54 billion tons of coal, representing an annual increase of 10% over the past seven years.
Tags: coal