On March 28, the China Coal Industry Association released the "2023 Coal Industry Development Annual Report"(hereinafter referred to as the "Report") in Beijing. The contents of the "Report" show that China's coal industry structure has accelerated the optimization and upgrading, and important progress has been made in the construction of a modern industrial system. As of the end of 2023, the number of coal mines in the country has dropped to about 4300. The output of large coal mines with an annual output of 1.2 million tons and above accounts for more than 85% of the country's total, an increase of 5 percentage points from 2020. The annual output of small coal mines below 300,000 tons accounts for the country's proportion dropped to below 1%.

The "Report" clarifies that as of the end of 2023, China has built 81 coal mines with an annual output of 10 million tons, with an approved production capacity of 1.33 billion tons/year, an increase of 29 coal mines compared with 2020, with a production capacity of 510 million tons/year; There are about 24 coal mines under construction with a designed production capacity of 310 million tons/year. 1146 safe and efficient coal mines and 683 million-ton coal mining teams have been built across the country. At the same time, a safe and efficient coal mine construction model with the main characteristics of one well, continuous transportation, mechatronics, integration of mining, and green intelligence has been fully rolled out in different provinces and regions.

In terms of digital transformation, the "Report" clarifies that China's coal industry's digital infrastructure, digital economy, digital industry, digital ecological civilization, etc. are integrated and promoted. Commercial artificial intelligence large models have been put into operation in the mining field, and driverless mining trucks and 120-ton charging heavy trucks have been put into operation in open-pit coal mines. Since the "14th Five-Year Plan", a number of intelligent coal mines of various types and different models have been built, and the number of intelligent mining working faces has increased from more than 400 to about 1600; The main indicators such as operating income, profits, and R & D investment of the coal digital industry have maintained a growth trend of about 30%, and the number of related invention patents has grown at an average annual rate of more than 25%. In the fields of 5G applications, autonomous driving, and industrial Internet operating systems, it ranks first in the industrial industry.

Regarding the trend of the coal market in 2024, the "Report" believes that in 2024, the quality of the national coal supply system will improve and the emergency supply guarantee capabilities will be enhanced. The supply and demand in the coal market will maintain a basic balance. The medium and long-term contract system will effectively play the role of "ballast stone" and "stabilizer" for the smooth operation of the coal market. However, the international energy situation is complicated, and the domestic coal supply and demand pattern has undergone profound changes. Considering the uncertain factors such as extreme weather, sudden events and new energy output, there may be regional, temporal and variety coal supply and demand mismatch.

In this context, the "Report" proposes that the coal industry must do a solid job in safe production in coal mines and ensure coal supply and price stability, deepen supply-side structural reforms, accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation of coal, adhere to innovation-driven development, and build a modern industrial system., cultivate and expand new quality productivity, deepen high-level foreign cooperation, continue to promote the coal economy to achieve effective qualitative improvement and reasonable quantitative growth, and strive to promote high-quality development to a new level at a new historical starting point. Make more contributions to the overall situation of the country with the "stability, progress and establishment" of the coal industry.

Published by China Coal Industry Association

"2023 Coal Industry Development Annual Report"

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author:Bai Yu

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