Sichuan coal base begins storage for energy supply

Sichuan province's first national-level large-scale coal reservation base recently started storing coal to help ensure the supply of the fossil fuel and guarantee energy security for the province according to Sichuan Coal Industry Group, one of the project's developers.

The move came after rising temperatures made power demand soar and dried up reservoirs used to generate electricity in Sichuan and Chongqing.

Gaoxing Coal Reservation Base covers an area of 224 mu (14.9 hectares), and officially started construction on March 10 last year. It has a designed coal storage capacity of 600,000 metric tons and an annual throughput of 6 million tons.

After being put into use, the reservation base is expected to see revenue of 2 billion yuan ($292 million) within 2 years, according to the Sichuan Coal Industry Group.