China will accelerate its plans to build 13 large-scale coal
production facilities this year, the National Development and
Reform Commission (NDRC) has
stated.
"China will build several extra-large opencast coal mines and
some modern large-scale underground mines this year," said Zhang
Guobao, vice minister of the NDRC on hearing a coal industry report
on February 6. He said the central government would soon give its
views on the construction plans for the 13 production areas.
Hand in glove with consolidating the small and medium-sized coal
mines, the strategy to build 13 new large-scale production
areas got underway in 2003. The 13 bases are: Shendong,
Jinbei, Jindong, Mengdong, Yungui, Henan, Luxi, Jizhong, Lianghuai,
Honglong, Jizhong, Ningdong and Shaanbei.
The development blueprint includes 14 provinces and autonomous
regions and covers an area of 103,400 square kilometers. The areas
have over 40 major coalfields with combined coal deposits of 690.8
billion tons – a figure which accounts for 70 percent of the total
national reserve.
Last year Shendong became China's first modern mining region
with annual production of over 100 million tons. There are plans to
increase the annual output to 150 million tons by 2010 and 200
million tons by 2020.
It is anticipated that the 13 proposed mines would have a
combined output of 1.7 billion tons by 2010.
Large-scale coal businesses are being encouraged to promote and
invest in multiple development. A leading example of this is the
coal production giant, Shenhua Group, who has been involved in
providing its own railway networks, port facilities and power
generation plants, said Mr Zhang.
He added that at the same time China should support power
companies wishing to enter the coal production industry.
He pointed out that this year the coal industry should focus on
restructuring and look at opening new mines.
(China.org.cn by Yuan Fang, February 15, 2006)