Northwestern China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has gained approval from National Development and Reform Commission for the development of four large coal bases, local media reported on March 26. 

The autonomous region was approved to construct the Turpan-Hami, Junggar, Ili and Kubai coal bases, including 36 mining areas, the Xinjiang Daily reported, citing the region’s Development and Reform Commission.

As approved, the Turpan-Hami coal base will focus on the delivery of coal and thermal power outside the autonomous region, Junggar and Ili coal bases will mainly develop the coal chemical demonstration projects and power generation.

Development in other mining areas will be restricted mainly to meet local power generation, urban heating, industrial and residential purposes, according to the approved plan.

The approval would be of vital importance for Xinjiang to achieve its coal production capacity target of 420 million tonnes by 2015, with 204.1 million tonnes in Junggar, 78 million tonnes in Turpan-Hami, 100 million tonnes in Ili and 37.9 million tonnes in Kubai.

Xinjiang has been developing its coal industry vigorously, aiming to raise production capacity of large mines to 340 million tonnes per annum by 2015, or 81% of the total planned capacity, and that of medium-sized mines to 77 million tonnes or 18% of the total, while controlling the number of small mines to 30 or so with annual capacity of 3 million tonnes or 1% of the total.