Coke piles up, as railways focus on power-plant deliveries
3 August 2004
State media reported that transport bottlenecks were leaving three-week stockpiles of coke piled up in some plants, as the railways focused on supplying thermal coal power plants. The government is concerned that insufficient supplies could force power generators to stop operation, intensifying China's severe power shortage. Leading coke producer China Coal & Coke Holding Ltd said current supplies were enough only to satisfy big steelmakers. An estimated 70-80% of small steel mills -- those with annual production of under 200,000 tons � have suspended operations in Hebei and Shandong provinces alone, China Coke and Coal said.