The average daily raw coal production by large-scale industrial firms in China during the first half of 2026 hit the second-highest historical level for the period, the China National Coal Association reported, underscoring coal's continued status as the mainstay of China's energy security.
Enterprises with annual main business revenue of 20 million yuan or more produced 13.07 million tonnes during the first six months, the association revealed.
As the backbone of China's energy system, coal output has maintained steady operation in 2026, delivering solid support for national energy security amid high seasonal demand.
China has now entered the peak summer energy consumption season, with temperatures in most parts of the country above the perennial average and some regions struck by periodic heatwaves.
To cope with extreme weather and shore up coal supply for the summer peak, the coal sector has tapped into the strengths of large-scale modern and intelligent coal mines, keeping national coal production and distribution stable and orderly.
"Across major coal-consuming industries, coal-fired power generation grew roughly 3 percent year on year in the first six months, serving as a vital bottom-line guarantee for peak summer power supply. Coal consumption for chemical production rose 7.3 percent from a year earlier, driving steady growth in overall coal demand," said Zhang Hong, vice president of the China National Coal Association.
Looking ahead to the second half of 2026, experts said they expect China's macro-economy to sustain steady and relatively fast expansion. With wider application of "AI plus" scenarios and surging energy demand from big data and computing power, overall energy consumption will continue climbing. In this context, coal will remain the mainstay of China's safe and stable energy supply and a key force providing fundamental backup.
China's coal output remains sufficient in H1, bolstering summer power supply
Repeated Houthi missile and drone attacks have halted commercial and maritime activity at Yemen's Mocha Port near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, killing seven people and causing about 16 million U.S. dollars worth of direct losses, government and port officials said on Saturday.
The port, in southwestern Yemen's Taiz province, is a key entry point for commercial goods and supplies bound for government-held areas.
Abdulmalik al-Sharabi, director of the government-held port, said the attacks over the past week killed four members of the port's security forces and three port employees, while causing extensive damage to facilities and equipment.
"Some of the port's berths were damaged, along with warehouses and the port's own maintenance workshops. Every economic facility in the port complex was targeted in the attack," al-Sharabi said.
He said six wooden vessels and a dredger involved in the port's expansion operation were also damaged. The suspension of shipping and commercial activity has left about 1,300 workers without an income.
"The attack on Mocha Port caused enormous losses for merchants. There were also casualties among port personnel and workers, including dockworkers, and commercial vessels moored at the port with cargo being loaded also sustained damage," said Mohammed al-Ghanami, head of the Mocha Merchants' Union.
Yemen's pro-government National Resistance Forces said the Houthis launched 40 ballistic missiles and 46 drones, and used explosive-laden boats in the attacks against Mocha, its port and other sites in the area between Aug 9 and Aug 14.
The Houthis have said their operations in the Mocha area targeted military buildups and weapons depots of what they called Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. Government authorities refuted that account, describing the port as a civilian commercial facility.
The escalation has raised concern that Yemen could slide back into full-scale fighting. A U.N.-brokered truce expired in October 2022, but a fragile de facto ceasefire had largely held until the recent attacks.
Houthi strikes halt operation of Yemen's Mocha Port, kill seven
