In 2018, the performance of the coal sector in China improved, which was attributed to a number of factors, such as favourable domestic economic conditions, the ongoing supply-side reform and coal industry consolidation. In addition, there was high market demand from the steel sector, increased power consumption and a recovery in thermal power generation. These market conditions stimulated growth in coal prices, which although hiked to USD 120 per tonne on international markets in July 2018, remained at healthy levels. The stronger performance of China’s coal sector in 2018 was also a result of improved balance between supply and demand, supported by implementation of the government’s regulatory measures on coal pricing and import volumes throughout 2018. The production efficiency and profitability in the sector increased. The revenue of the major coal mining enterprises rose by 5.5% y/y to RMB 2.3tn, according to China National Coal Association, while their profit increased by 5.2% y/y to RMB 288.8bn. The number of coal mining enterprises rose to 4,505, up from 4,435 in 2017, while the number of coal mines was cut to 3,373, down from 3,907 in 2017. The average annual production capacity expanded to about 920,000 tonnes.

01 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

02 SECTOR OUTLOOK

03 SECTOR IN FOCUS

04 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE            

05 COMPANIES IN FOCUS      

06 REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT

07 COAL MININ