China’s Shanxi steps up small coal mine closures

摘要

China’s coal-producing heartland of Shanxi province has announced the permanent closure of more smaller coal mines, in a move aimed at raising efficiency and safety standards within the industry. Mines with permitted production capacity of under 600,000 t/yr will be closed by the end of this year as part a three-year plan to improve industrial safety, the Shanxi government said. Smaller mines are typically less efficient and also have insufficient safety measures in place. It is unclear how many mines in the province have production capacity below 600,000 t/yr.