The Big Picture: Coal's slow death in China

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On the outskirts of Datong in northern China’s Shanxi Province, a compound that once teemed with noise and activity has fallen silent. Its underground tunnels where thousands of workers toiled have been sealed, and machines that saw busier days lie rusting.

Tongjialiang Coal Mine, which employed some 4,000 workers at its peak time, closed in 2016 after operating for nearly 70 years. It was one of 25 collieries in the province that were shut down last year as China gradually weans itself away from its traditional energy source.

To reduce pollution, coal extracted underground in Datong's mines is transported to power plants in an enclosed area. /CGTN Photo

For decades, coal powered China’s economic rise, providing cheap energy throughout the country and creating millions of jobs in mines and power plants. China, the world’s top carbon emitter, accounts for more than half of the world’s coal consumption.

But China is losing its appetite for coal, with mounting concerns over the hazardous smog that frequently chokes parts of the country, including the capital Beijing, and its growing role in the international effort to combat climate change.

"In the time frame of six to seven years, China has transformed itself from a climate bad boy to a reluctant leader with the potential to embrace true climate leadership," Li Shuo, Greenpeace China’s global policy adviser, told CGTN.

Tongjialiang coal mine in Datong, Shanxi province was shut down in 2016 after 67 years of operation as China reduces its reliance on coal./ CGTN Photo

That loss of appetite is becoming evident in places like Datong, a city whose fortunes were built on coal. Datong Coal Mine Group or Tongmei, China’s third largest state-owned coal producer, plans to close down 13 mines by 2020.

In the city, also known as China’s coal capital, I met 45-year-old Wen Zeping. Following his father’s footsteps, Wen became a miner when he was 20.

Wen told me the industry’s future appears bleak to him. Today, coal mine workers clock in fewer hours and earn less than they used to.

"The coal industry’s performance hasn’t been good in recent years, and sometimes our payment is delayed," he said. "I’ve been following the news. Maybe the country will abandon the coal industry because it produces pollution."

China’s coal consumption is widely believed to have started declining in 2014. In recent years, China has been shutting down coal mines and thermal power plants, and halting plans to build new ones.

The goal is to cap total coal production capacity at 4.1 billion tons and reduce coal’s share in the country’s energy mix to below 58 percent by 2020.

The floating solar farm in Anhui province generates 40 megawatts of electricity and can power 15,000 homes for a year. /CGTN Photo

As Datong contemplates a future with less – if not without – coal, it has embraced other sectors like tourism to provide jobs to laid-off workers. It has also begun to shift to renewable energy, building solar and wind power plants.

In eastern Anhui, another coal-rich province, the move toward renewables was undertaken on an enormous scale. A vast solar farm in the city of Huainan floats on a sunken coal mine, with panels covering an area the size of 160 football fields.

The floating solar farm of Sungrow Power Supply, which has caught global attention, can generate 40 megawatts of electricity, enough to power some 15,000 homes a year.

"A solar farm built on water is cooler than one on the ground. Solar panels can produce more power with cooler temperatures. They are also cleaner when installed on water than on land, where dust affects the generating capacity," said Xiao Fuqin, the company’s research and development director.

China is now the world’s largest investor in renewable energy. Although coal remains China’s chief energy source, some experts believe domestic pressures to tackle pollution and the global campaign against climate change could accelerate its demise.

"Over the past 10 years, China’s coal consumption singlehandedly contributed to 50 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions," Li of Greenpeace said.

"If your coal boom story is over in China, half of your global greenhouse gas boom story is over."

Tongjialiang coal mine in Datong, Shanxi province was shut down in 2016 after 67 years of operation as China reduces its reliance on coal.

To reduce pollution, coal extracted underground in Datong's mines are transported to power plants in an enclosed area.

The historic Yungang grottoes are a top tourist attraction in Datong. As its coal industry downsizes, the city is boosting other sectors like tourism.