According to a report from the China Securities Journal cited by the CCTV News app on June 21, as summer sets in, regions across the country are experiencing peak demand for electricity and energy, putting increased pressure on ensuring a stable power supply. At present, coal-fired power generation accounts for 60.5% of China’s total electricity output, underscoring coal’s status as the nation’s primary energy source. So, during this critical period of meeting peak summer demand, what is the situation regarding coal production and supply in China? Let’s hear the reporter’s dispatch from the country’s largest coal-producing base.
　　
　　Capacity release ensures stable coal production and increased supply.
　　
　　The Shendong Coal Division of the National Energy Group spans Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia, making it China’s first 200‑million‑ton coal production base. Here, a coal‑laden train departs every ten minutes, delivering its cargo across the country. Miner Niu Tao is one of more than 30,000 employees at Shendong; to reduce equipment‑maintenance downtime, he developed a new approach: a four‑hour-plus checklist for preventive measures and troubleshooting procedures for equipment malfunctions.
　　
　　Niu Tao, team leader of the No. 2 Fully Mechanized Mining Team at the Hala Gou Coal Mine of China Energy Group’s Shendong Coal Division, stated: “We systematically analyze malfunctions that last more than four hours. Once the analysis is complete, we prioritize preventive measures. If preventive efforts prove insufficient, we must establish clear, well-defined procedures and workflows to ensure rapid resolution of faults lasting over four hours.”
　　
　　The duration of shutdown maintenance has been reduced from the conventional eight hours to four, freeing up an additional four hours of production time and enabling an extra 5,000 tons of coal to be produced. At present, Shendong Coal has maintained high‑level production and supply for six consecutive months, delivering 9.5 million tons and dispatching 2,278 trainloads—output equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 5.96 million people.
　　
　　Not only at Shendong, but across all mining areas under the National Energy Group—the country’s largest coal producer—production capacity is currently being fully unleashed, with operations running at full throttle to ensure stable output and supply.
　　
　　Wu Xiaoxu, Manager of the Operations Analysis Division at the Coal and Transportation Industry Management Department of the National Energy Group, stated: The monthly average production of domestically produced coal has remained at 50 million tonnes for seven consecutive months, reaching the highest level in history.
　　
　　At present, China’s coal supply is generally ample and well-organized.
　　
　　Once mined, coal must be transported to power‑generating enterprises, a task that likewise demands sustained, high‑capacity effort. With ample production and smooth logistics, China’s coal supply remains generally adequate and well‑organized, as exemplified by the National Energy Group. In recent days, a dedicated train carrying nearly 3,400 tons of long‑term contract coal from Xinjiang’s Tianchi Mine arrived at the Yingshuiqiao freight yard in Zhongwei City, Ningxia.
　　
　　Wu Xiaoxu, Manager of the Operations Analysis Division at the Coal and Transportation Industry Management Department of the National Energy Group, stated: “We have successively established two new supply channels—using both the Group’s own coal and market‑available coal—to deliver Xinjiang coal to Ningxia. This will ensure a total annual supply of 600,000 tons of thermal coal to the Zhongwei Thermal Power Plant in Ningxia. To date, coal inventory reserves have remained stable at more than 15 days’ worth, providing ample fuel to support full‑load operation of generating units during peak summer demand.”
　　
　　At present, the National Energy Group’s annual railway coal transport volume has exceeded 200 million tons, while its maritime coal transport volume has surpassed 100 million tons, up 12.4% year on year.
　　
　　Jiang Debin, Deputy Director of the Statistics and Data Center of the China Electricity Council, stated: The state attaches great importance to ensuring the secure supply of energy and electricity, continuously intensifying efforts to increase coal production and guarantee supply. As a result, domestic coal supplies remain ample, effectively meeting domestic demand and helping to stabilize China’s energy and power supply.
　　
　　Smart mines drive improvements in coal production quality and efficiency.
　　
　　In the past, coal mines often had to rely on large workforces operating around the clock in three shifts underground to sustain high production levels. However, during interviews, reporters found that today’s intelligent, modern mines have completely upended traditional production methods, with “smart” technology evident throughout.
　　
　　At the underground working face of Shendong Coal, part of the National Energy Group, miners must constantly monitor the operational data of every piece of equipment and make real-time adjustments. In the past, this task was labor-intensive and demanded high technical expertise. Today, leveraging the near-field capabilities of the MineHarmony system, devices and sensors automatically establish near-field connections with miners’ smartphones, enabling key parameters such as face pressure, mining height, and advancing stroke to be displayed directly on the phone’s screen. Currently, the MineHarmony system has been successfully deployed across 398 units of 20 different types of equipment at fully mechanized longwall faces in coal mines.
　　
　　Not only in the Shendong Mining Area, but also at China’s largest single‑shaft, fully intelligent demonstration coal mine—the Dahaize Coal Mine of China National Coal Group’s Shaanxi Company—operators use a control panel to remotely manage the automated operation of mining equipment located 630 meters underground. Li Jin, 36, has been working in coal mining for ten years; in the past, he had to descend into the mine every day, but now he can achieve highly efficient coal extraction simply by reporting to the central control room.
　　
　　Li Jin, a miner at the Dahaize Coal Mine of China National Coal Group’s Shaanxi Company: “In the past, it took more than 20 workers to complete one shift, and cutting a single face—about 2,000 tons—would take roughly an hour and a half. Now, with just five of us, we can finish that same face in 50 minutes.”
　　
　　Not only has coal mining become smarter, but coal transportation has also undergone significant changes. At the railway loading station of the Dahaize Coal Mine, a train consisting of 54 carriages can now be loaded in just 50 minutes via remote intelligent rail‑loading technology—whereas previously, this task required substantial manpower and machinery and took as long as 90 minutes to complete.
　　
　　Ma Guanchao, Chairman of the Dahaize Coal Mine under China National Coal Group Shaanxi Company: “In the past, loading was entirely manual. Now that we’ve implemented automated loading, no on-site personnel are required. With remote monitoring, both safety and loading quality have improved significantly compared to before, and per‑worker productivity has increased by 25%.”
　　
　　Extending the coal industry chain to achieve high-quality development.
　　
　　Not only have mines taken on a smart, modern look, but the coal industry’s value chain is also steadily expanding, accelerating the development of the coal‑chemical sector.
　　
　　At the Yulin Chemical Company of China Energy Group, coal has undergone a remarkable transformation from a fuel to a feedstock, and the coal‑chemical industry chain is expanding toward end‑use applications. A 1.8‑million‑ton coal‑to‑methanol plant, a 400,000‑ton ethylene glycol facility, and a 600,000‑ton methanol‑to‑olefins unit are all located here. The integrated operation of these three major facilities is turning more and more coal “from black to white,” while coal‑chemical products are becoming increasingly refined and high‑value.
　　
　　Currently, the company is actively advancing the construction of the world’s first 50,000‑ton‑per‑year polyglycolic acid demonstration project, which will produce a biodegradable material. This material boasts complete natural‑environment degradation, high barrier properties, exceptional strength, and superior heat resistance, making it suitable for a wide range of applications, including food and beverage packaging, and helping to address the issue of “white pollution.”
　　
　　Ding Junyu, Manager of the Planning and Coordination Division at the Chemical Industry Management Department of the National Energy Group: In the past, our petrochemical products were all produced by refining petroleum as a feedstock. Today, we can also produce these same products using coal, thereby meeting the everyday needs of the general public.
　　
　　The coal‑chemical industry has not only clustered in Yulin; the National Energy Group has also built the world’s first million‑ton‑scale direct coal liquefaction project in Ordos, the country’s first coal‑to‑olefins plant in Baotou, and, in Ningxia, the world’s largest single‑investment, independently patented 4‑million‑ton‑per‑year indirect coal liquefaction project. All three modern coal‑chemical technology routes have been awarded the First Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award.
　　
　　Ding Junyu, Manager of the Planning and Coordination Division at the Chemical Industry Management Department of the National Energy Group, stated that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the group will focus on the industrial chain, build an innovation chain, and enhance the value chain, driving the coal‑chemical industry to shift from a fuel‑based to a feedstock‑and materials‑oriented model, thereby achieving high‑end, diversified, and low‑carbon development.