China's coal hub Shanxi continues to slash overcapacity in 2020

Photo taken on July 9, 2019 shows China Railway Taiyuan Group Co., Ltd. inspectors patrolling on the Datong section of the Daqin Railway in Datong, north China's Shanxi Province.

China's major coal producer Shanxi Province plans to cut more than 15 million tonnes of overcapacity in 2020, according to the local energy administration.

This year, Shanxi will speed up efforts to promote coal mining in a more environment-friendly and intelligent way and close all its coal mines with an annual output fewer than 600,000 tonnes by the year-end.

Meanwhile, the coal hub will strengthen the protection of the environment and regulate the development of the coal washing industry.

By the end of 2020, the number of enterprises carrying on the business of coal washing and dressing will be limited to around 1,200. Shanxi aims to wash over 80 percent of the coal it produces.

Shanxi has 978 coal mines, with an annual coal output of 980 million tonnes in 2019.

To improve its coal industrial structure and pursue greener growth, the province has phased out nearly 116 million tonnes of coal production capacity by shutting down 106 coal mines over the past four years.