China's coal-rich province ensures energy supply amid epidemic

TAIYUAN - China's coal-rich province of Shanxi has seen more than 500 coal mines resume production in February, which ensured energy supply amid the outbreak of novel coronavirus.

According to the provincial energy administration, there were only 56 coal mines maintaining operation during the Spring Festival holiday at the end of January.

By Wednesday, 569 coal mines in Shanxi have resumed full production capacity with a maximum daily output of 2.63 million tonnes.

From Jan 21 to the end of February, China Railway Taiyuan Group Co., Ltd. transported 53.19 million tonnes of coal out of the province, of which 1.02 million tonnes were sent to Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province and the center of China's anti-epidemic battle.

Shanxi had a total of 978 coal mines churning an output of 980 million tonnes in 2019. The coal hub has planned to close all coal mines with an annual output less than 600,000 tonnes by the end of 2020.