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Shanxi to hold first coal expo

By Wan Zhihong (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-03-03 09:03

The first-ever expo focusing on the nation's coal industry will be held September 16 to 18 in North China'sShanxiProvince, when coal producers from across the globe will meet to discuss various aspects of the industry.

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Co-organized by the Shanxi provincial government and theMinistry of Commerce, the China (Taiyuan) International Coal and Energy Expo will be important for future development of the country's coal industry, said Gao Hucheng, vice-minister of commerce.

He noted that coal, which accounts for about 70 percent of China's energy mix, will continue to be the nation's most important energy resource.

North China's Shanxi Province is the nation's largest coal producing region.

In addition to further development of its traditional coal industry, the province will also develop other coal-related resources such as coalbed methane and coal-to-chemicals, said Yu Youjun, governor of the province.

The province, which has the country's largest coal reserves, produced 580 million tons of coal last year, a growth of 7 percent over the year previous, according to provincial authorities.

China consumed 2.46 billion tons of coal equivalent last year, up 9.3 percent from 2005, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.