China Aims to Build Modern Coal Industry System by 2030
Dragon Media News Desk
China aims to establish a modern coal industry system by 2030 as part of its efforts to balance energy security with the country’s accelerating green transition.
According to a development plan released Monday by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration, China will speed up the structural optimization and upgrading of its coal industry during the 15th Five-Year Plan period from 2026 to 2030. The country’s coal consumption is expected to reach its peak during this period.
The plan calls for stricter access standards for coal resource development, expansion of advanced production capacity, the gradual phase-out of outdated and inefficient capacity, and a prudent approach to the exploitation of deep coal resources.
By 2030, large modern coal mines are expected to account for 87 percent of China’s total coal production capacity, while intelligent mines are projected to make up 75 percent. China’s five major coal supply bases are expected to contribute more than 80 percent of national output.
Intelligent coal mines use artificial intelligence, real-time data and automated systems to optimize production processes. Such technologies are designed to reduce human intervention while improving operational efficiency and workplace safety.
Coal remains an important pillar of China’s energy security even as the country accelerates its transition toward greener energy sources. China aims to peak coal consumption by 2030 and raise the share of non-fossil energy in total energy consumption to 25 percent. At the same time, greater emphasis is being placed on making coal production and utilization cleaner, more efficient and more intelligent.
Qu Yang, a researcher with the Coal Industry Planning and Design Research Institute, said the new plan is expected to further consolidate China’s coal industry during the 2026–2030 period. Smaller mines with higher accident risks, as well as mines with depleted resources, are expected to exit the market at a faster pace.
The plan also calls for actively promoting cleaner substitutes for coal, significantly improving the quality of commercial coal, accelerating the transformation and upgrading of coal-fired power generation, and expanding the use of coal as an industrial feedstock in an orderly manner.
In addition, the plan places emphasis on the large-scale development and utilization of coalbed methane. Greater use of the gas is expected to improve mine safety, expand clean energy supplies and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
According to an annex to the plan, China aims to produce 26 billion cubic meters of coalbed methane annually and utilize 6.5 billion cubic meters of coal mine gas by 2030.
