In order to implement the decision and deployment of the CPC and the State Council, to reasonably adjust the use of coal resources, ensure coal supply and stabilize the prices, and guarantee the safe and stable supply of coal and coal-powered electricity, the relevant departments require to improve the coal storage system for coal-powered plants, lower the coal storage standards for power plants in the peak season, and guard the 7-day coal storage safety baseline. In principle, the available days of coal storage in power plants should be 7-12 days in the peak season, and the upper limit of coal storage should not be higher than 12 days.

It is of great significance to improve the requirements of safe coal storage in coal-powered plants, moderately reduce the standard of safe coal storage in the peak season, and keep the baseline of safe coal storage in 7 days for mobilizing inventory resources, stabilizing coal prices, and improving the level of safe energy supply. With the gradual improvement of long-term mechanisms for stabilizing coal supply and price, such as medium- and long-term contracts, the coal support capacity has been significantly enhanced. It is encouraged to implement the differential coal storage system in the off-season and peak season to make more coal storage in the off-season to create conditions for balanced production of production enterprises. In the peak season, light storage will be encouraged. To reduce appropriately the coal storage in the peak season will ease the contradiction between thermal coal demand fluctuation and balanced coal production, so as to maintain the coordination of supply and demand and promote the sustainable supply and price stability of thermal coal.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration have set up a special task force for coal supply protection, to bring power plants with different coal storage systems in the off and peak seasons into the scope of key protection, and ensure that the baseline of coal storage for power plants within 7 days is firmly maintained. When the available days of thermal coal stock are less than 7 days during the operation of the power plants, the key guarantee and supply mechanism will be immediately activated, and the relevant departments and the key enterprises will coordinate and guarantee the coal source and transportation capacity.

(Source: National Development and Reform Commission)