China raises production threshold to open coal mines

The National Development and Reform Commission(NDRC) says it will not approve the opening of new coal mines that have an annual production capacity of less than 300,000 tons.

The announcement will require the immediate halt to construction of previously approved coal mines that produce less than 30,000 tons unless they can be consolidated with other mines.

Previously the limits on annual production capacity varied from region to region. In Inner Mongolia, Shanxi and Shaanxi, mines with annual capacity of no less than 300,000 tons were approved, in Henan, North, Northeast and Northwest China the limit was no less than 150,000 tons, while other areas approved mines that produced only 90,000 tons.

China plans to produce 2.45 billion tons of coal in 2010 with 75 percent produced by middle and large-sized coal mines.

Figures show China produced 2.2 billion tons of coal in 2005 and coal mines currently under construction have a total production capacity of 600-700 million tons.

Source: Xinhua