Beijing | China produced and consumed a lot less coal than usual in the first two months of the year, official data showed, as the country’s strict response to the coronavirus outbreak took a toll on both the supply and demand sides of the energy industry.

The latest figures, released this week by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), highlight the potential damage that the pandemic may do to China’s economy as some energy statistics can serve as stand-ins for gauging economic activity.

Coal output nationwide fell 6.3 per cent year-on-year to 490 million tons in the first two months of this year, while the volume of imported coal jumped by a record 33.1 per cent AP

Coal output nationwide fell 6.3 per cent year-on-year to 490 million tons in the first two months of this year, while the volume of imported coal jumped by a record 33.1 per cent year-on-year to 68.06 million tons, according to NBS data.

The patchy resumption of work at coal mines has contributed to the diminished output, an industry insider told Caixin.

As of February 22, work had resumed at 76.5 per cent of China’s coal mines, according to data from the country’s top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission. However, some were not running at full capacity because of a lack of manpower.