China Coal Production Hits Record High In 2022

China produced a record amount of coal last year although output ended the year with a decline amid the latest surge in covid infections. Total output for the year reached 4.496 billion tons, which was a 9-percent increase on 2021, according to official statistics data reported by Reuters. Chinese government officials said in March last year that the country will continue to maximize coal use as it prioritizes energy security. This is very much what Europe did, too, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as gas prices soared sky-high and…