China’s coal shortages will start to ease in coming months, industry body says
- The shortages have hit power supplies across the country and disrupted industry
- Production at domestic mines and imports have risen as the government moved to increase supplies
There are signs those efforts are starting to pay off.
Daily coal production by the coal miners monitored by China Coal Transportation and Distribution rose 4.5 per cent in the first 13 days of October from average daily levels in September, the industrial body said in a statement. The coal miners monitored by the CCTD account for more than half of China’s coal output.
China’s national energy bureau said last week that daily coal output had climbed to the highest level since February.
Among the measures aimed at boosting coal supply, the government has since July approved capacity expansion at more than 150 mines and recently urged closed mines to resume production before most northern regions start the winter heating season next month.
China’s coal imports rose by 76 per cent in September from a year ago, according to customs data.
Refinitiv trade flow data showed about 18.36 million tonnes of coal is expected to arrive in China this month as of Sunday. Last year, China imported 13.73 million tonnes of coal in October, according to customs data.