High tech helps fuel Shanxi's economy

Shanxi province, long known for its abundant coal resources, is pressing ahead with its energy revolution, having built 400 intelligent coal mines and raised the share of advanced coal production capacity to 84 percent, provincial authorities said on Monday.

The efforts are contributing to China's carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals.

"Over the past five years, the province has produced 6.5 billion metric tons of raw coal, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the national total,"Governor Lu Dongliang said while delivering the province's annual government work report in Taiyuan, the provincial capital, at the opening of the annual session of the Shanxi Provincial People's Congress.

During the same period, Shanxi supplied 2 billion tons of coal to 24 provinces under long-term agreements to help ensure power supply, he added.

Lu said that in 2025, the installed capacity of new and clean energy in Shanxi surpassed coal-fired power for the first time.

"It reached 90.48 million kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 18.29 million kW, accounting for 55.1 percent of the province's total power generation capacity," he said. "The province has established 13 green power industrial parks, with green power transactions reaching 10 billion kWh, ranking among the top nationwide."

Shanxi maintained stable economic performance during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), with GDP exceeding 2.5 trillion yuan ($360 billion) and annual growth averaging about 5 percent, Lu said.

As a major coal-producing region, Shanxi plans to achieve basic intelligentization of all coal mines in normal production by 2027, while maintaining stable output capacity.

Looking ahead to the next five-year plan starting in 2026, Lu said Shanxi will focus on six key areas: building an important national energy and raw materials base; a base for specialized equipment and advanced manufacturing; a base for specialized and organic dryland agriculture; a hub for the deep integration of cultural tourism; a major node in the Belt and Road Initiative business circle and a comprehensive transportation hub; and an ecological barrier in the middle reaches of the Yellow River and North China.

Shanxi is also accelerating industrial upgrading by optimizing and modernizing traditional sectors.

Sun Xiaopu, deputy general manager of Shanxi Jiashida Robot Technology Co, focused on industrial innovation and high-quality growth, particularly the development of so-called "little giant" enterprises — small and medium-sized companies recognized for being highly specialized and innovative.

In recent years, works such as the sensational domestic video game Black Myth: Wukong have showcased Shanxi's deep historical and cultural heritage in a fresh and youthful way, injecting new vitality into the province's digital cultural development.

Fan Jiang, an official with the Shanxi Youth Development Foundation and a member of the Shanxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, suggested launching high-quality digital cultural projects centered on Shanxi's core resources, including ancient architecture, murals, red culture and folk traditions.

Contact the writers at zhouhuiying@chinadaily.com.cn