Eighty percent of mines with an annual output above 1.5 million tons in Shanxi are expected to be upgraded by the end of 2015, according to a plan to speed up mine modernization released recently by the provincial government.

In 2011, Shanxi integrated mine resources through mergers and acquisition of mines, reducing the total number of mines to 1,053 from 2,600. After restructuring, all the mines were equipped with large machines to extract coal, significantly increasing annual productivity from 30 million to 100 million tons.

Several regulations, including standards for modernized mines and rules of construction and management, have been stipulated to further implement the modernization strategy. Modernized mines will be appraised and assessed each year and awarded superior access to resources. Mines that fall below standards, especially in terms of quality and safety, will be disqualified from preferential policies.