Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration issued the "Implementation Opinions on Establishing a Coal Production Capacity Reserve System," proposing that by 2027, a preliminary coal production capacity reserve system will be established, with a batch of capacity reserve coal mine projects being approved and constructed in an orderly manner, thereby creating a certain scale of dispatchable production capacity reserves. By 2030, efforts will be made to establish dispatchable production capacity reserves of around 300 million tons per year.
　　The opinion clarifies that the designed production capacity of coal mines with capacity reserves consists of two components: regular capacity and reserve capacity. Regular capacity refers to the normal production capacity of coal mines under non-emergency conditions, which is autonomously organized by enterprises based on market conditions and is not included in the national unified dispatch system. Reserve capacity refers to a moderately sized capacity reserved on top of the regular capacity, specifically intended for peak-shaving purposes. In emergency situations, this reserve capacity will be released simultaneously with the regular capacity under the national unified dispatch, enabling coal mines to achieve “upward elastic production.”
　　When the supply-demand situation shifts from overall balance to tightness, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration will, based on factors such as coal market supply and demand and whether prices have exceeded a reasonable range, implement unified dispatching of reserve production capacity. They will determine the emergency release zones for reserve capacity, the scale of production scheduling, and supply assurance targets, thereby safeguarding national energy security.
　　A coal production capacity reserve system will be established following the principles of enterprise applications, local-level organization, and national overall coordination. The system will focus on large-scale, modern open-pit coal mines and underground coal mines with high safety standards. A selection of coal mines—both newly built and under construction—will be prioritized for inclusion in the reserve capacity program, and their implementation will be carried out in a proactive yet prudent manner. The scale of coal mine reserve capacity will be categorized into three levels—20%, 25%, and 30%—based on the proportion of the reserve capacity relative to the designed production capacity of the coal mines.