Coal activity swelling
Even as China’s output, stockpiles and imports continue to rise, the country’s industry leaders are forecasting supply shortages in the long term.
Official state media outlet Xinhua said Chinese output for 2012 would top 3.7 billion tonnes, citing the newest data from the China Coal Industry Association.
Coal imports in China also inched up to 250 million tonnes, only slightly less than the country’s 290Mt of stockpiles.
CCIA chairman Wang Xianzheng said he expected Chinese coal consumption to increase from 3.7Bt this year to up to 5.3Bt in 2020.
Giant on the blackboard
Beijing-based multinational MacMines is sizing up a massive coal operation in remote Queensland, Australia, which may produce up to 60Mt per annum, of which 45Mt will be for export.
The 20,000-hectare China Stone project will included four longwalls potentially using top-coal caving as well as truck-and-shovel surface operations.
The complex will need to establish its own rail line to the expanding Abbot Point terminal as existing infrastructure in the area is limited.
The project, estimated to cost some $5 billion, is still yet to apply for government approval but expects to begin construction in 2015 and coal mining in 2017.
China-Africa project kicks off
In another milestone for Chinese investment in African coal, the Sino-Zimbabwe joint venture China-Africa Sunlight Exploration broke ground yesterday in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland North province.
The $2 billion project will include a 3Mtpa open cut, a 600-megawatt thermal plant and a 300,000tpa coke plant, according to Xinhua.
The coal concession totals 100,000 hectares and is scheduled for commissioning in 2015.
The recent increase in Matabeleland region coal mining activity has been hampered by environmental concerns over Hwang National Park and Victoria Falls, the country’s largest game reserve and tourist attraction.
