How Do Large Coal Companies Cultivate New Productivity?

What achievements have been made in cultivating and developing new productivity in the coal industry, and how will they focus their efforts? At the recently held 2025 China International Coal Development Forum, attendees discussed safety, efficiency, greenness, and intelligence as key topics, exchanging experiences and building consensus.

During the '14th Five-Year Plan', the coal industry has deeply implemented its technology innovation strategy, continuously optimizing production layouts, enhancing supply security capabilities, achieving significant transformation and upgrading results, with fruitful coal clean and efficient utilization outcomes. The construction of beautiful mines has been solidly advanced, coal machinery equipment manufacturing has presented many highlights, safety and occupational health levels have reached new heights, and coal is rapidly transforming from a single fuel to both fuel and raw material, achieving leapfrog development. "China Coal Industry Association President Liang Jiaqun stated at the forum.

Sticking to the directions of intelligence, greenness, safety, and efficiency.

In the opinion of Li Wei, the Party Secretary and Chairman of Shandong Energy Group, cultivating new productive forces requires innovation as the core element, green intelligence as the key path, and open cooperation as the basic conditions.

Efficient use of clean coal has always been the direction of high-quality development in the coal industry. "National Energy Group Party Committee Member and Vice President Yang Peng said."

Ma Shizhi, a member of the Party Committee and deputy general manager of China Coal Energy Group Co., Ltd. (referred to as China Coal), stated that cultivating new coal productivity must focus on intelligent, green, safe, and efficient directions.

Mr. Yuan Guangjin, Party Committee Member and Vice President of Shaanxi Coal Group, introduced that the group has developed and implemented the first coal mine safety standardization information management system in the country, pioneering an "AI+NOSA" intelligent risk control system in the industry. Since 2018, the group has reduced underground staffing by 14,000 people, lowered the death rate per million by 92%, increased overall employee efficiency by over 40%, and significantly improved comprehensive safety protection capabilities.

China Coal Science and Engineering Group Party Vice Secretary and General Manager Fan Shaogang stated that during the "14th Five-Year Plan", the group developed new coal mine safety equipment and technologies such as underground long-hole directional drilling rigs, 0m horizontal hole segmental blasting and pressure relief techniques, and intelligent coal dust prevention and control systems to enhance coal mine intrinsic safety levels.

State-owned Energy Group has built four billion-ton green intelligent mining areas in Shendong, Ningwu, Mengdong, and Xinjiang, with all coal mining surfaces reaching intermediate to advanced levels of automation.

In the past 6 years, the overall single output per mine of Shaanxi Coal Group has increased by 61%, overall single progress by 76%.

Coal companies are accelerating the promotion of green and low-carbon development throughout the coal mining and utilization process.

State-owned Energy Group is deeply advancing green mining construction, establishing a "three-phase" management model for pre-mining prevention, in-mining control, and post-mining restoration. They are industry-leading in conducting a methane monitoring, control, and utilization special action for coal industry, promoting the "three-reform linkage" for existing coal-fired power plants. Conventional coal-fired power plants have achieved 100% ultra-low emissions, and the ultra-critical power plant proportion exceeds 63%.

Currently, China's coal mine water utilization rate reaches 94.1%, coal gangue utilization rate reaches 77.9%, with a unit output energy consumption of 1.481 tons of standard coal and a unit output carbon dioxide emission of 6.205 tons.

More than 60% of the coal mines of Shandong Energy Group have been included in the provincial and higher-level green mine listings.

"The transformation and development of China's coal industry towards intelligence, decarbonization, and greening has been so rapid and successful that it leads the world in coal industry advancement. "China Engineering Academy Academician and President of Jiangxi University of Technology, Ge Shirong said."

In recent years, Michel Manuk, the CEO of the Global Sustainable Coal Alliance, has strongly advocated for the concept of sustainable coal management. In her opinion, China is a prime example of implementing this management philosophy.

"Every time I visit China, I witness a management model guided by innovation, inclusivity, and purpose. "said Michelle Manuk.