Coal production of northern China province hits 1.3 bln tonnes

Aerial photo shows construction workers checking the steel rails at the Datong section of the Datong-Qinhuangdao railway in north China's Shanxi Province, April 16, 2019. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)

TAIYUAN, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- North China's coal-rich Shanxi Province has completed its annual coal production target of 1.3 billion tonnes as of Tuesday, according to the provincial statistics bureau Wednesday.

The province continues to rank first in coal output in China this year and has realized an average annual increase of more than 100 million tonnes for the second consecutive year.

While ensuring safe production, Shanxi has accelerated expanding its output and transport capacity and optimized and restructured coal mines to ensure energy supply.

It is estimated that Shanxi has a coal-bearing area of 57,000 square meters, accounting for 36.3 percent of the national total. As of the end of 2021, the province made up 23 percent of China's total coal reserve, as indicated by data released by the Ministry of Natural Resources.