| Abstract |
In 2002, China produced 1,390 million tonnes, exported 85 million tonnes, imported 11 million tonnes, and consumed 1,280 million tonnes of coal. The Asian coal market must be seriously affected, and Japan’s stable supply of coal will be severely damaged, if China’s supply and demand status in relation to coal collapses or narrows. In general, the greatest portion of China’s coal reserves is to be found in the northern and western regions, while the areas of demand are primarily located in the eastern and southern regions. Although coal is produced widely in the while country, Shanxi Province is the center of coal production in China, and transports about 200 million tonnes of coal to the areas in demand. Sanxi region (Shanxi Province, Shaanxi Province, and the western part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region) is expected to constitute a major supply center for coal in China and the transportation of coal from this region will be a key for the stable supply of coal within the country. This report reviews China’s prospects for the supply and demand of coal up to 2020 and examines how the transportation of coal from Sanxi region (China’s major coal supply center) will be developed. |
