China resumes 83.4% coal production capacity amid epidemic

China has resumed 83.4 percent of its coal production capacity amid the fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said on March 4.

As of March 3, all coal mines outside Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak, had resumed production, putting the current annual capacity at 3.43 billion metric tons, basically on par with the same period last year.

Daily output on March 3 came in at 9 million tons, more than doubling that on Feb 1, according to the NEA.

Energy supplies including coal, electricity, refined oil and natural gas are largely stable under efforts to restore production capacity amid the epidemic, said the NEA.