China to build new coal plants

BEIJING, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- China has started construction of eight new coal mining projects aimed at powering rural areas.

The eight projects include coal mines and chemical and power projects worth about $5.8 billion. All eight projects are located in the northwest part of the country in an effort to increase domestic demand for energy and encourage more economic growth, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.

The projects are in the Ningdong area in Lingwu City and Wuzhong City in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The three coal mines planned for that region will have a total annual capacity of 22 million tons, and the three power plants will have a combined capacity of 4.4 million kilowatts.

"The construction of the Ningdong coal, power and chemical industry base is an important move to expand domestic demand and promote the country's stable and relatively fast economic growth," said Zhang Guobao, director of the National Energy Administration.