China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) has announced that a national coal reserve base will be built in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province. The base will hold 5 million mt of reserves of thermal coal and coking coal, with an annual circulation volume in excess of 12 million mt.
The base in question will be established in Linsifang in the Xingang area of Wuhan city, covering 1,000 acres. Zhongping Energy Chemical Group together with the Wuhan government will invest RMB 800 million (about $118 million) in the project. The base will act as a strategic reserve and adjustment facility to ensure coal supplies for the central Chinese provinces of Hubei, Hunan and Jiangxi.
As approved by China's central government, a total of five national coal reserve bases will be established in central China and inland areas along rivers.