North China's coal-rich Shanxi Province plans to close all coal mines with annual production capacity below 600,000 tonnes by the end of 2020 to further upgrade the industry, local authorities said.
The move aims to help cut the province's coal production capacity by over 15 million tonnes this year, according to the provincial government.
At present, Shanxi has 954 coal mines. The coal production capacity of major mines reached about 971 million tonnes in 2019.
Between 2016 and 2019, the province closed 106 coal mines, according to the provincial energy bureau.
Over the past few years, China has been phasing out outdated production capacity in a wide range of sectors, including coal and steel, amid efforts to promote high-quality economic growth.
Editor:Cherie
