China state planner calls for stable supply of coal, natural gas in summer

BEIJING: China's state planner asked coal miners to increase output and major gas producers to ensure stable supply during the summer as electricity demand rises.

Coal miners in western regions of Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia were ordered to step up production of high-quality coal, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, power utilities were encouraged to increase coal purchases from the spot market to ensure stable operation of power generation units.

Sinopec, CNPC, CNOOC and other key suppliers will need to accelerate construction of gas fields and arrange reasonable maintenance for their infrastructure, the NDRC said.