On June 19 at a forum in Beijing entitled "Chinese energy strategy and energy development in the 12th five-year plan period (2011-2015)", He Youguo, director of the Chinese Coal Industry Development and Research Center, stated that China is targeting an annual coal output of 3.6 billion mt for the end of its 12th five year plan, i.e. for 2015.
According to Mr. He, of the targeted 3.6 billion mt output, 2.2 billion mt (60 percent) will be produced from coal mines with annual output capacities of 1.2 million mt and above, 1 billion mt (30%) will be produced from coal mines with annual output capacities of 0.3 million mt and above, while 0.4 billion mt (10%) will come from smaller coal mines with output capacities lower than 0.3 million mt per year.
Meanwhile, Mr. He said that, as regards the organization of the domestic coal industry, the Chinese government plans to divide the country into two areas. Coal supplies will be directed into one of these areas, consisting of Sichuan, Chongqing, Xizang, northeastern China, Hebei, eastern China and central China. On the other hand, coal supplies will be transferred out of the other area, which will be made up of the provinces of Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Gansu, Yunnan, Guizhou and Xinjiang.