BEIJING - China's coal output growth hit a three-year high in July, thanks to surging power consumption in summer and accelerating steel production driven by infrastructure construction.

The country's coal output surged 12.2 percent year-on-year last month to 320 million tonnes.

Coal imports reached a half-year high of 32.89 million tonnes in July, up 13.4 percent from a year earlier.

Soaring household electricity consumption, such as increasing use of air conditioners resulting from high temperatures over the past two months, contributed to the boom of the coal market.

The increase in coal demand was also driven by rising steel output in the country. China's daily crude steel output continued to break new records this year, stimulated by infrastructure construction across the country.