Datong Coal plans to spend 2 billion yuan building the largest coal-exploration equipment production base in northern Shanxi province.

The company said its goal is to double the current figures for coal output and total assets in 2012.

Coal production and sales topped 100 million tons for four consecutive years from 2005 to 2008, and hit 122 million, in 2008.

The company wants to develop an industrial chain of "coal-power-construction materials" and "coal- chemicals".

"Green exploration is the core principle we stick to," said Wu Yongping, president of the Datong Coal Mine Group.

The green (environmentally friendly) mining concept depends on science and technology and shows the advantages of a large group in technology, professional experience, equipment and management. The scarce resources of the coal seam need to be finely and carefully mined, the company said.

When the company built the Tashan Circular Economy Park, the first of its kind in the region, it followed the fundamental principle of "reduce, recycle and reuse".