From the Business Day: “China’s coal shortage is expected to worsen this year as supply fails to keep pace with mounting demand from the country’s rapid industrialisation, state media said Friday. Coal consumption is expected to increase 6.0 percent or 120 million tons to 2.1 billion tons this year, Pu Hongjiu, deputy director of the China Coal Industry Association, said.
Coal output, however, can only increase by 100 million tons, and even that might not be realised, the China Daily quoted Pu as saying. Small coal mines, which accounted for 35 percent of coal output last year, may not maintain production levels because many will have to be shut down due to poor safety records, Pu said.”