(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-10-03 11:32

China's coal production is likely to exceed 2.5 billion tons this year, according to Wang Xianzheng, deputy director of the State Administration of Work Safety.

Related readings:  Chinese premier urges technological upgrade in coal industry  Foreign companies keen to tap China's coal deposits  Top coal province looks to hi-tech industries  Coal-based chemical sector to grow rapidly

Wang, also head of China National Coal Association, said the nation will build large coal production bases and restructure small coal mines to raise the coal output by 400 million tons between 2006 and 2010.

China's coal output has nearly doubled to 2.38 billion tons in 2006 from 1.25 billion tons in 2000, Wang said.

The annual output growth of 11.5 percent on average has helped to meet  the increasing energy demand of China's double-digit economic growth, he said.

China, the world's second largest energy consumer only after the United States, heavily relies on coal for energy, which makes up around 70 percent of the country's total consumption.

Wang said that 219 coal mines has been rated as safe and highly efficient. Their combined approved production capacity reaches 702 million tons, 34.59 percent of the country's total.