China’s coal and natural gas production rose sharply in March. The country is scaling up nationwide production of fossil fuels to ensure it has enough energy. The war in Ukraine also plays a role. As a result, energy prices have risen even further.
Coal production increased by 15 percent compared to a year ago to 396 million tons. Natural gas rose by more than 6 percent to 19.7 billion cubic meters, the Chinese statistics agency reported Monday.
energy crisis
China is also concerned about a new energy crisis that hit the country last year. At that time, there was temporarily too little coal to meet the energy demand. That is also one of the reasons why the country is so committed to increasing coal production.
There are limits to that production increase, a Chinese top official from the coal industry recently warned. The additional production may not prevent another energy crisis in key industrial regions.
Crude oil production rose by nearly 4 percent to nearly 18 million tons. That is the highest level since December 2015, despite the decline in oil production due to the pandemic. China has been struggling with revival of the coronavirus for some time, as a result of which many places, including the metropolis of Shanghai, are in full or partial lockdowns. This also consumes less fuel.
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