China: 'Mega' coal mines, with over 10 mn t annual output, now total 52
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The steady commissioning of new and advanced coal capacities across China has lifted the number of mega coal mines in operation, with capacities exceeding 10 million tonnes/year, to 52 at present, a notable increase from the 44 mega mines operational as of end-2019, according to a report by China National Coal Association (CNCA) published on July 9.
Taking the above-mentioned total count to 52 as of July 9 was the commissioning of two coal mines operated by Shaanxi Coal and Chemical Industry Group, named Xiaobaodang No.1 coal mine and Caojiatan coal mine, in Northwest China's Shaanxi province on July 6. Each of the two mines boasts 15 mn t/y of raw coal capacity, mainly for thermal coal, according to the company.
The 52 mega coal mines are located in seven provinces or regions, among which 44 are in the country's top three mining hubs - Shanxi, Shaanxi and North China's Inner Mongolia. Total raw coal capacity of the 52 mines is 821 mn tonnes/year, or 20% of the country's total capacity in operation, CNCA noted. Among the total, Shaanxi's Yulin city hosts 15 mines above 10 mn t/y, or 210 mn t/y in total, which makes it the city with the largest raw coal capacity from mines of this size in China.
Table 1: Total capacity of coal mines above 10 million tonnes/year by region:
| Region | Count | Capacity (mn t/y) |
| Inner Mongolia | 21 | 391 |
| Shaanxi | 15 | 210 |
| Shanxi | 8 | 133 |
| TOTAL | 52 | 821 |
[Source: CNCA]
By mine type, 33 among the 52 mines are underground operations, accounting for 467 mn t/y in total, while the remaining 19 mines with 354 mn t/y capacity in total are open-pit. Among them, three mines are above 30 mn t/y, all being open-pit operations, the report noted.
Table 2: Total capacity of coal mines above 10 million tonnes/year by mining type:
| Type | Count | Capacity (mn t/y) |
| Underground | 33 | 467 |
| Open-pit | 19 | 354 |
[Source: CNCA]
As reported earlier, China has been actively scrapping the country's inefficient and small-sized coal mines, while developing large-sized and advanced coal resources to enhance mining industry safety while ensuring the country's steady energy supply. Provinces and regions in North and Northwest China are the main focus of the central government's new coal capacity development scheme.
Over January-May this year, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi and Shaanxi cumulatively produced 1 billion tonnes of raw coal, which's 70.3% of China's total coal production during the same period, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.
Note: This article has been published under an article exchange agreement between CoalMint and Mysteel -- a China-centric insight and global metal markets intelligence providing company.
In this photo taken on November 20, 2015, a worker clears a conveyer belt used to transport coal, near a coal mine at Datong, in China's northern Shanxi province. A Chinese pledge to upgrade the nation's coal-fired power plants to cut pollution is aimed mainly at soothing domestic fears over dangerous smog, rather than tackling climate change emissions, analysts said on December 3. (Photo credits: GREG BAKER/AFP/Getty Images)
By Aditya Sinha
