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A large-scale restructuring of the coal industry in China's major coal-producing province of Shanxi, starting at the end of this month, will reduce accidents and improve efficiency by shutting down small coal mines, officials said.

"The restructuring this time is the largest after years of adjusting the coal industry's structure," Miao Huanli, planning section director of Shanxi provincial coal bureau, said yesterday.

The merging and reorganization plans submitted by all the 11 cities and districts of the province have been approved, he said.

Officials plan to reduce the number of Shanxi's coal mines from 2,598 to 1,000 by 2010, shutting down unsafe and low-producing small mines. The goal is to ensure more safety for miners, according to documents outlining the restructuring program.

The remaining coal mines must have an annual capacity of at least 3 million tons.

"After 70 percent of small mines are taken over by large state-owned mines, the level of industrial concentration will be improved, which will greatly reduce coal mine accidents," said Li Lun, press and education director of the provincial work safety bureau.

Bringing more order to the mining market, as well as the full adoption of mechanical mining, will also improve mining safety, he said.

"The program gives us an opportunity to expand coal reserves and seek further development," said Liu Yaqin, press officer of Taiyuan-based Shanxi Coking Coal Group, a local coal giant with 80-million ton annual coal production capacity.

The group has planned to take over about 200 small coal mines this year, she said.

Meanwhile, Wang Hongying, an energy researcher with Shanxi Academy of Social Sciences, warned that to achieve the goals of the program, local authorities have to coordinate conflicts of interests among stakeholders.

（英语点津 Helen 编辑）

Brendan joined The China Daily in 2007 as a language polisher in the Language Tips Department, where he writes a regular column for Chinese English Language learners, reads audio news for listeners and anchors the weekly video news in addition to assisting with on location stories. Elsewhere he writes Op'Ed pieces with a China focus that feature in the Daily's Website opinion section.

He received his B.A. and Post Grad Dip from Curtin University in 1997 and his Masters in Community Development and Management from Charles Darwin University in 2003. He has taught in Japan, England, Australia and most recently China. His articles have featured in the Bangkok Post, The Taipei Times, The Asia News Network and in-flight magazines.