Xinjiang closes over 100 small collieries in 2017

2-exclusive

Some 114 small coal mines were closed in northwest China’s coal-rich Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region last year to cut outdated production capacity, local authorities stated recently.

These collieries, each with an annual production capacity of less than 300,000 tonnes, have a combined annual production capacity of more than 11 million tonnes, according to the regional coal industry bureau.

Through closing small collieries and merging larger ones, Xinjiang has upgraded its coal industries and ensured increased safety of collieries with a drop in the number of coal mine fatalities, according to the bureau.

Xinjiang has an estimated 2.19 trillion tonnes of coal reserves, accounting for 40% of the country’s total.

The closure of collieries is a part of a national campaign. China plans to eliminate 100 million to 150 million tonnes of crude steel capacity and 500 million tonnes of coal in the five years from 2016. The country completed its 2017 capacity cut targets in both sectors, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.