China's Shanxi produces nearly 900 mln tonnes of raw coal in Jan-Aug

Staff members work at the command center of Malan coal mine of Shanxi Coking Coal Xishan Coal Electricity Group Co., Ltd. in Gujiao City, north China's Shanxi Province, Sept. 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Xuetao)

TAIYUAN, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's coal-rich province of Shanxi saw its raw coal output near 900 million tonnes in the first eight months of this year amid efforts to increase production to ensure supply, local authorities have said.

The coal output in Shanxi, the country's largest coal-producing region, surpassed 898 million tonnes during the period, up 4.4 percent year on year and accounting for nearly a third of China's total, according to the provincial statistics bureau.

To boost its coal production efficiency, the province has built 48 intelligent coal mines and has over 1,200 smart mine faces, taking the lead in the Chinese industry's intelligent and digital upgrade.

Last year alone, Shanxi produced over 1.3 billion tonnes of coal. It has set a coal output target of nearly 1.37 billion tonnes for 2023.