Top 10 News Stories in the Coal Industry for 2023
　　Recently, the China National Coal Association and the China Coal News jointly selected the “Top Ten News Stories of the Coal Industry in 2023.”
　　1. General Secretary Xi Jinping inspected the coal terminal area of Huanghua Port under the National Energy Group.
　　During his inspection tour of Cangzhou City, Hebei Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the coal terminal at Huanghua Port to learn about Hebei Province’s port integration and development efforts, as well as the operational status, development plans, and overall performance of Huanghua Port. Xi Jinping emphasized that, as a key hub port for China’s west-to-east coal transportation and north-to-south coal transportation, Huanghua Port must strengthen its port capacity-building efforts, innovate its management systems and mechanisms, and strive to become a multifunctional, comprehensive, and modern mega-port. Huanghua Port is the primary outbound port along China’s second-largest west-to-east coal transportation corridor. It serves as a pivotal port for the integrated coal, power, railway, port, and shipping operations of the State Energy Group—a fully integrated, end-to-end operation model spanning production, transportation, and sales. Moreover, Huanghua Port is the world’s first coal port to achieve intelligent automation throughout the entire process—from stockpiling to loading and unloading—and is the only five-star green port among China’s bulk cargo ports. It is also the country’s first coal port to be designated as an AAA-level industrial tourism attraction. With an annual coal-handling capacity exceeding 200 million tons, accounting for roughly 28.9% of the total throughput of the ten northern ports, Huanghua Port currently boasts the largest annual coal throughput in China. Its overall labor productivity and per capita profit margin both rank first among China’s bulk cargo ports. In 2022, the port handled a total cargo throughput of 315 million tons, including 220 million tons of coal, making it the nation’s top supplier of electricity coal.
　　2. China’s ability to ensure coal supply continues to strengthen.
　　Since the beginning of this year, China’s capacity to ensure coal supply has continued to strengthen. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, from January to November, China produced 4.24 billion tons of raw coal, an increase of 2.9% year-on-year; coal imports reached 430 million tons, up 62.8% over the same period last year. Data from the Qinhuangdao Coal Network show that as of December 11, coal inventories at the Port of Qinhuangdao had risen to 7.1 million tons, an increase of 950,000 tons from last year’s peak, marking the highest level in nearly three years.
　　The China National Coal Association recently released the ranking of the top ten enterprises in terms of raw coal production for the first 11 months. In the first 11 months, the total raw coal output of the top 10 enterprises amounted to approximately 2.19 billion tons, an increase of 77.58 million tons year-on-year, accounting for 51.7% of the raw coal output from enterprises above a designated size.
　　The 2024 National Energy Work Conference, held on December 21, pointed out that in 2023, China’s ability to ensure a stable and secure energy supply steadily strengthened. The National Energy Administration has consistently regarded safeguarding national energy security as its primary responsibility, fully leveraging coal’s role as a bottom-line guarantee, reinforcing power supply security, and adopting multiple measures to increase oil and gas supplies, thus maintaining overall stability in energy production and supply. Currently, coal stocks at nationally coordinated power plants remain at a historically high level of over 200 million tons, with sufficient reserves lasting approximately 26 days.
　　3. The “Opinions of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council on Further Strengthening Work on Safety Production in Mines” have been issued.
　　On August 25, the "Opinions of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council on Further Strengthening Work on Mine Safety Production" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions") were issued. The "Opinions" represent the first guiding document in the field of mine safety production approved by both the Party Central Committee and the State Council since the founding of New China. They fully reflect the high importance attached by the Party Central Committee—with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core—to mine safety production work. As a fundamental guideline for carrying out mine safety production under the new system and mechanisms, the "Opinions" hold significant contemporary relevance and far-reaching historical significance. Grounded in the actual conditions of mine safety production in China, the newly issued "Opinions" strengthen top-level design from such aspects as safety access, transformation and upgrading, risk prevention, and accountability implementation. They put forward 24 specific measures and requirements aimed at further strengthening and improving mine safety production work, thereby promoting the mining industry’s development toward higher quality, greater efficiency, greater equity, greater sustainability, and enhanced safety.
　　4. China’s coal digitalization and intelligentization efforts have achieved remarkable results.
　　On June 26, the National Mine Safety Administration released the "Standard for Data Integration and Sharing in Intelligent Mines," providing mining enterprises with a reference framework for data interoperability and connectivity. From September 26 to 27, the 2023 On-site Conference on Deepening the Integration of Informatization and Industrialization in the Coal Industry, together with the "Digital Coal" Development Forum, was held at Huaihe Energy Holding Group. During the event, the "Report on the Development of the Coal Information Technology Industry (2023)" and the "Report on Innovative Development of Information Technology Applications in the Coal Industry (2023)" were released. The National On-site Promotion Conference for Intelligent Coal Mine Construction, held from April 19 to 20, pointed out that the country has now cumulatively built 1,043 intelligent coal mining faces and 1,277 intelligent tunneling faces. Among these, the first batch of demonstration coal mines nationwide have collectively completed 363 intelligent coal mining faces and 239 intelligent tunneling faces, covering an annual production capacity of 620 million tons. The average production capacity per face has reached 5 million tons per year, and the total investment in intelligent construction has approached 200 billion yuan. Over the past three years, China's coal digital industry has shown strong growth momentum. According to statistics from the China National Coal Association, the number of main-board listed companies whose primary business is the digitalization and intelligentization of various coal-related sectors has increased to 13, five of which were listed within the past three years. Well-known internet companies and telecom operators, both inside and outside the industry, have actively joined forces with coal producers and technology service providers to jointly build a digital ecosystem for the coal industry.
　　5. Major progress has been made in the construction of safe and efficient coal mines in the coal industry.
　　The 30th Anniversary Conference on the Construction of Safe and Efficient Coal Mines and the Promotion of High-Quality Development, hosted by the China National Coal Association in November, revealed that the number of safe and efficient coal mines in China has reached 1,146. These safe and efficient mines account for more than 25% of the country’s total coal mine population, and their output exceeds 70% of the nation’s total coal production. They serve as the mainstay for ensuring a stable and secure coal supply and form the cornerstone for high-quality development of the coal industry.
　　From the designation of the first batch of 12 high-yield and efficient mines in 1993, to the breakthrough of over 100 coal mines designated by 2001, and then to the designation of 1,146 safe and efficient coal mines by 2022, a total of 23 batches of coal mines have been recognized and honored over the past 30 years.
　　Safe and efficient coal mining has expanded from the five coal-producing provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, and Shandong to cover 20 coal-producing provinces nationwide. It now extends from the major coal-producing regions of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia all the way to the complex and challenging mining areas in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, achieving a comprehensive rollout—from “a single spark” to “a raging fire”—and becoming a mainstay of national coal production.
　　6. The China International Mining Expo expands in scale and enhances its service level.
　　On October 25, the 20th China International Coal Mining Technology Exchange and Equipment Exhibition (hereinafter referred to as the China International Mining Expo) kicked off. As one of the world’s four major mining industry exhibitions, this event brings together participants from 18 countries and regions, including four national pavilions and nearly a thousand exhibitors spanning the entire coal mining value chain—from coal extraction and tunneling to transportation, as well as intelligent and green, low-carbon mining technologies. The exhibition features more than 8,000 exhibits, and the total weight of the physical equipment on display is expected to exceed 10,000 tons.
　　Over the past 40 years, the China International Mining Exhibition has steadily expanded in scale and continuously enhanced its professional service level, becoming a globally influential industry event in the coal sector. The exhibition has established a platform for technical exchanges between domestic and international coal mining industries, playing a significant role in introducing advanced overseas technologies and equipment, helping domestic coal machinery and equipment go global, promoting technological progress in China’s coal industry, and deepening exchanges and integration among industry peers.
　　7. Mergers and restructuring activities among coal enterprises are vigorous.
　　In May of this year, Guizhou Energy Group Co., Ltd. officially unveiled its headquarters in Guiyang. The establishment of Guizhou Energy Group represents a major strategic move by Guizhou Province to build itself into a national-level integrated energy hub and a key coal supply center for the southwestern region. It also marks a significant achievement in Guizhou’s efforts to promote strategic restructuring and specialized integration of state-owned enterprises under provincial jurisdiction. In March of this year, Panjiang Coal & Power Group was renamed Guizhou Energy Group and absorbed and merged Guizhou Wujiang Energy Group Co., Ltd. It is understood that Guizhou Energy Group is a large-scale, wholly state-owned enterprise directly managed by the provincial government.
　　On June 2, the Guangxi Energy Group and Guangxi Energy Co., Ltd. were officially established with unveiling ceremonies. The Guangxi Energy Group was reorganized and renamed from the Guangtou Energy Group under the Guangtou Group. Guangxi Energy Co., Ltd. was established through the renaming of Guidong Power, a listed company controlled by the Guangxi Energy Group.
　　On August 12, the former Xinjiang Energy Group and the Xinjiang New Energy Group merged and reorganized to form the new Xinjiang Energy Group. The newly formed Xinjiang Energy Group has a registered capital of 20 billion yuan and total assets of nearly 48 billion yuan.
　　8. Ten specific scenarios for emergency evacuation of personnel from coal mines are clearly defined.
　　On April 3, the National Mine Safety Administration issued the "Notice on Promptly Reporting Major Changes in Coal Mine Disaster Conditions and Promptly Evacuating Personnel in Emergency Situations Such as Signs of Accidents." The notice stipulates that if any one of the following ten situations occurs in a coal mine, personnel working in hazardous areas must be promptly evacuated.
　　These 10 situations are as follows: (1) When the methane concentration in the return airflow of all underground working areas exceeds 1.0%; (2) When obvious signs of coal bursts—such as loud coal-burst noises, spouting holes, drill jamming, bulging of coal walls, falling debris, continuously increasing or fluctuating gas emissions, and increased coal dust—are observed underground; (3) When signs of water inrush—including wetting of coal seams, reddish discoloration, floor heaving, and increased seepage (including sand)—appear underground; (4) When the water levels in surface water pits within and around the mining area suddenly drop and begin to flow into the mine shafts; (5) When natural disaster warnings such as heavy rain or flooding reach red (Level 1) or orange (Level 2); (6) When an open flame is discovered and cannot be immediately extinguished; (7) When intense vibrations, loud explosions, sudden floor (or side wall) bulging, or coal/rock ejections occur at underground mining and excavation sites—indicating dynamic phenomena; (8) When a planned power outage occurs throughout the entire mine and cannot be promptly and effectively restored; (9) When open-pit coal mines encounter special weather conditions such as heavy rain or winds of Force 8 or higher, or when slopes show clear signs of accelerated settlement, deformation, widening or贯通 of cracks, or large-scale rockfalls and landslides; (10) Other emergency situations or accident signs that necessitate immediate cessation of production and evacuation of personnel.
　　9. China has introduced industrial policies to support the green and low-carbon development of coal mines.
　　Earlier this year, the People's Bank of China issued a notice stating that three monetary policy tools—including the carbon emission reduction support tool—would continue to be implemented. Among these, the special relending facility supporting the clean and efficient use of coal will remain in effect until the end of 2023. In 2023, the carbon emission reduction support tool and the special relending facility for the clean and efficient use of coal will continue to be implemented in parallel, ensuring energy supply security while supporting the economy’s transition toward a green and low-carbon future. On March 7, the China Development Bank released the “Work Plan for Supporting the Comprehensive Governance of Coal Mining Subsidence Areas,” which emphasized that, guided by national plans for the comprehensive governance of coal mining subsidence areas, banks should deepen cooperation among government, enterprises, and financial institutions, strengthen forward-looking planning and policy research, and explore tailored bank-government cooperation models suited to local conditions for the comprehensive governance of coal mining subsidence areas. On August 4, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the People's Bank of China (hereinafter referred to as the PBOC), and the State Administration of Taxation jointly held a press conference, announcing that as of the end of June 2023, the outstanding balance of structural monetary policy tools stood at approximately 6.9 trillion yuan. Of this amount, the balance supporting green and low-carbon development and technological innovation totaled about 1.2 trillion yuan, an increase of 516.6 billion yuan from the end of the previous year. In the next phase, the PBOC will continue to support green and low-carbon development by implementing the carbon emission reduction support tool and the special relending facility for the clean and efficient use of coal in parallel.
　　10. Five new job categories have been included in the occupational competency assessment for the coal industry.
　　On June 26, the Coal Industry Vocational Skills Certification Guidance Center issued the "Notice on Including Newly Added Occupations Such as Intelligent Coal Mining Operators into the Scope of Occupational Competency Assessment in the Coal Industry," announcing information on five newly added occupations: Intelligent Coal Mining Operator, Intelligent Coal Mining Drilling Operator, Underground Explosion-Proof Electrician for Coal Mines, Coal Tar Hydrogenation-to-Oil Operator, and Mining Safety Monitoring System Duty Officer.
　　These five job categories will be included within the scope of occupational (job) categories for the assessment of professional competency levels in the coal industry. The skills of these five job categories are divided into five levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced, technician, and senior technician. The assessment scope will be managed dynamically, with additions or deletions made based on the industry’s assessment needs.