13 - Coal resources, production, and use in China

Abstract

China, as the World’s largest producer and the biggest consumer of coal, faces a unique set of challenges in meeting its rapidly growing energy needs. This chapter reviews coal production and consumption in China, together with the difficulties faced in safely mining and preparing coal in increasingly challenging geological conditions. Many of these challenges have been largely overcome and successfully solved, together with those of transporting the coal from its predominant sources in the north and west of the country to the areas of demand in the south and east. The reliance on coal to fuel the power sector is considered, as are the design and implementation of technologies and policies to optimize power generation and facilitate a shift toward reduced emission. Clean coal technologies for power generation, together with various associated industries, including the metallurgical use of coal are also discussed. The issues associated with CO2 emission control are emphasized by the government and a series of policies and measures are being taken to reduce these issues.