with the arrival of the minor snow solar term, temperatures have gradually dropped. however, at the bulianta coal mine of chn energy shendong coal, the production site is bustling with activity. at the coal face 100 meters underground, the sounds of the coal cutter colliding with the coal wall resonate as coal is systematically stripped away. each complete cut, from the machine's head to its tail—referred to as a "cut"—produces around 2,500 tons of coal. during this critical period for energy supply, each additional cut of coal allows a 670,000-kilowatt power unit at a coastal power plant to run for an extra 8 hours. this team produces 45,000 tons of coal daily, requiring nearly 11 trains to transport the coal to coastal ports.
as china's first coal production base with a capacity of 200 million tons, chn energy shendong coal prioritizes ensuring warmth for the public during winter. the company focuses on key operational indicators and meticulously plans production schedules. additionally, during the coal mining process, they anticipate the impact of low temperatures, snow and ice, adjusting the washing and selection processes to ensure "zero frozen vehicles and zero disruptions".
ordos city, an important coal-producing region in china, has produced 729 million tons of coal in the first 10 months of this year, a 5.7% increase compared to the same period last year. this accounts for about 69% of inner mongolia's total coal production and 19% of the country's total, providing strong support for national energy supply stability. inner mongolia holds 53.65 billion tons of coal reserves, nearly a third of china's total, ranking first in the country. the region also boasts a total installed power capacity of 238 million kilowatts, with wind energy potential of 146 million kilowatts (57% of china's total) and solar energy potential of 940 million kilowatts (21% of china's total).
in 2023, inner mongolia's coal production reached 1.234 billion tons, fulfilling 945 million tons of energy supply tasks. this ensured coal supplies to 27 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across the country. while securing national energy supply, inner mongolia has also implemented the warmth project to address public concerns about heating. this initiative has included comprehensive checks of heat sources, heating networks, heat stations and households, creating a project list and completing the construction or renovation of 68 new heat sources. the total heating area has increased by 7 million square meters to 1.35 billion square meters, further improving heating quality for end users.
during this heating season, ordos city's kangbashi district introduced smart heating. through technological upgrades, the heating system was made more intelligent to ensure residents receive more comfortable and efficient heating services. temperature sensors in homes upload real-time indoor temperatures to a monitoring platform, enabling the heating company to track the actual heating conditions in real time. this allows issues to be detected and resolved promptly. as of now, all 528 warmth project initiatives in inner mongolia have been completed, and 103 counties, cities and districts have opened their heating systems on time. overall, heating operations are stable, and the quality of heating has been significantly improved.