Official: coal supply, demand to balance by 2010

An official from the China Coal Industry Association said the country’s demand for and supply of coal, its largest energy source,  will "generally balance" by 2010 as producers boost capacity, Bloomberg reported. Wang Xianzheng, chairman of the association, said China’s annual coal demand will be about 3 billion metric tons by 2010, close to the projected production capacity. He added that shortages are "regional," and the the closure of small mines will not affect supply. Wang’s statements follow last week’s announcement that coal stockpiles in several provinces have dropped to dangerously low levels forcing with closure of power plants.