TAIYUAN, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) — The raw coal output of China\’s coal-rich province of Shanxi surpassed 1.35 billion tonnes in 2023, an increase of 3.3 percent year on year, setting a new record for coal production in a single year, according to the provincial statistics bureau.
Shanxi\’s raw coal output accounted for about 29.1 percent of the country\’s total last year.
To boost its coal production efficiency and enhance safety levels, Shanxi has so far developed 118 intelligent coal mines, with 81 developed in 2023, according to the provincial energy bureau.
It is estimated that Shanxi has a coal-bearing area of 57,000 square kilometers, accounting for 36.3 percent of the province\’s total area.
According to a report released by the Ministry of Natural Resources, by the end of 2022, the country\’s total coal reserves amounted to 207 billion tonnes. Among them, Shanxi Province has coal reserves of approximately 48.3 billion tonnes, ranking first among all provincial-level regions.