Hebei Province-based Chinese energy company Jizhong Energy Fengfeng Group has announced that on June 18 it officially commenced construction work on its Chaerqi coal mine project in Baicheng county in China's Xinjiang autonomous region. Investment is expected to total RMB 900 million ($142.85 million), while the targeted annual coal output capacity is 900,000 mt. The mine will be the largest underground coal mine in southern Xinjiang. Construction work is expected to be completed in 2015.
Jizhong Energy Fengfeng Group has been operating in the coal mining sector in Baicheng county since August 2011. It currently owns mining rights and related assets for nine coal mines in the county.
Moreover, during China's 12th five-year plan period (2011-15) Jizhong Energy Fengfeng Group plans to invest more than RMB 4 billion ($630 million) in coal mining in Baicheng, targeting an annual coal output capacity of 5 million mt by the end of 2015. Accordingly, the group will be the biggest coal miner operating in southern Xinjiang.