SinoCast Daily Business Beat reported that large coal production bases in western Chinese areas along with large coal companies and will become major coal suppliers in China in the following five years.

From 2011 to 2015, the country will focus more on green coal exploitation and coalmine gas application. The construction of 14 large coal production bases will be accelerated accounting for over 90% of the output nationwide.

The bases will be established in such regions as Shaanxi, northern Shanxi, eastern Shanxi, eastern Inner Mongolia, Yunnan and Guizhou, Henan, western Shandong, central Shanxi, central Hebei and Xinjiang.
Ultra-large coal mines will be formed nationwide, including ten at-least-100-million-ton ones and ten at-least-50-million-ton ones. They will contribute 60% of the country's total coal turnout.

In 2010 a total of 15 Chinese coal companies turned out 50 million or more each. Their production amounted to 1.376 billion tons representing 42.47% of the total output in China. The Top Five, each with an output of more than 100 million tons accounted for 25.1% of the country total. Meanwhile, the number of coalmines across the country will be cut back and will stand below 10,000 in the five years ahead.

An official with the National Energy Administration said in western areas, the development and utilization of energy should be quickened as before. In central areas, the energy development should be stabilized, and in eastern areas, the development of energy and resources should be optimized.

Industry analysts said China has been known as one of major coal producers and consumers all over the world. From January to March 2011, the output increase in major coal-consuming industries stimulated the coal consumption across the country.

(Sourced from SinoCast Daily Business Beat)