A key power producer in northeastern China's Jilin province has secured new source of coal after inaugurating a rail connection with Inner Mongolia's Jungadab port, which borders Mongolia.

 

The route delivers coal starting from Jungadab to Jilin will help alleviate supply tightness in the province, according to China Electric Power News.

 

A train carrying 3,655 tonnes of Mongolian coal arrived at Jilin's Mujiadian Railway station on November 29, marking the first shipment since Jungadab's rail facility upgrading was implemented two years ago.

 

The coal will travel 700km along existing rail lines to reach a power plant owned by Jilin Electric Power Co., Ltd. in Baicheng city.

 

As coal reserves have been depleting due to decades of extraction, Jilin now heavily relies on supply from East Inner Mongolia. However, supply to Jilin has often been constrained as many other places also sought fuel from the major producing area.

 

Therefore, the company plans to diversify its coal sources to Mongolian coal via Jungadab border crossing.

 

Jilin Electric established a subsidiary - Jilin National Reserve Energy Co., Ltd. – quarter-headed at Jungadab in November 2022.

 

The new firm is developing a 1-Mt coal storage base, aiming to import coal from Mongolia.

 

Securing stable imported coal supplies via the new rail link will bolster the power provider's ability to guarantee electricity security in Jilin over the winter heating season and beyond.

 

In December, more than 30,000 tonnes of coal will be dispatched to a heating plant in Changchun, departing from Jungadab port. In 2024, the annual shipments are expected to reach 600,000 tonnes.

 

The route takes advantage of Jungadab's strategic position along China's Belt and Road Initiative, and provides an additional channel for importing coal into the inner regions of China.