Excessive producing capacity of coal
industry is wasting resources, harmful to a green, efficient and safe energy
system. Utilization rate of producing capacity is a key indicator to mark the
excess of producing capacity, measuring it will be helpful to tell the excess
degree of coal producing capacity and its developing trend, which provides
references for authorities to make producing capacity policies and for coal
producers to make market strategies. China ‘s coal resource is heterogeneously
distributing with different burying geology, which determines its regional
developing difference. The past measurements ignored its impacts on utilization
rate of producing rate. This paper uses LCRMA to measure 2001 to 2017
utilization rate of coal producing capacity in China ‘s 24 provinces,
classifies coal provinces into 4 groups, abundant type, moderate type,
insufficient type and exhausted type in terms of the intrinsic variance of
mining conditions, and applies spatial counting model to study their spatial
evolution of utilization rate of producing capacity in these four groups.
Utilization rate of coal producing capacity shows a rising-falling trend during
the study period, average at 0.82, with excessive producing capacity varying
with groups. Production in insufficient type and exhausted type is approaching
the producing margin, suggesting a limited room to improve their utilization
rate of producing capacity. Utilization rate of producing capacity in moderate
type is average at 0.63, meaning an excessive producing capacity. Factors
impacting utilization rate of producing capacity vary with groups. Economy
works adversely, but positively on groups with abundant resources, advanced
technologies and most large coal bases, indicating expanded producing capacity
induced by economic growth ignores quality. Utilization rate of producing
capacity is sensitive to changes of market demands, a growing demand is
favorable for improving utilization rate of producing capacity.
Spatialβconditional convergence exists in utilization rate of coal producing
capacity, suggesting industrial migration helpful to spatially increase
utilization rate of producing capacity, contributing to a diminishing regional
difference. This paper presents suggestions on enhancing infrastructural construction
and research inputs in western and new producing bases, accelerating quit and
consolidation of lagging producing capacity in central, exerting the key
“survival of fittest” role of market in coal producing capacity, actively
directing human and management resources in insufficient and exhausted groups
to abundant and moderate types so as to reach a quality development of coal
industry.
