China approves 4 coal mines with total capacity of 26 mln tonnes/yr

BEIJING* China's state planner said on Tuesday it has approved four coal mine projects with combined capacity of 26 million tonnes per year.

* The projects, which are located in three different Chinese regions, will see total investment of 11.7 billion yuan ($1.75 billion).

* A 10 million tonne per year mine in Shaanxi is the largest approved project of the four, according to details given in four separate statements released by the National Development and Reform Commission.

* Two mines in Inner Mongolia, totalling 11 million tonnes per year, were also approved, as well as a 5 million tonnes per year open-pit coal mine in Xinjiang.