＂I haven't seen coal prices so high in 50 years of living＂

A resident who lives in Bayannur City told JiMu News that his family had just bought back 4 tons of coal for heating this winter in the past two days at a price of 2,000 yuan a ton. "Last year, the same coal was 800 yuan per ton, and the poorer quality was 600 yuan per ton. I am 50 years old and I have never seen coal prices rise above 1,000 yuan before." The resident said.

Chief reporter of Jimu News Zeng Lingke and reporter Liu Qin

On October 18th, residents in Inner Mongolia, Gansu and other places reported on multiple online platforms that coal prices for heating this winter have risen, coal prices in Gansu Province have doubled year-on-year, and coal prices in Bayannaoer City in Inner Mongolia have reached three times the price of the same period last year. .

People in the coal industry analyzed to Jimu News reporters that due to the shortage of coal, domestic coal prices have risen as a whole this year, which has driven up the price of coal for heating.

Ren Yanbo, secretary-general of the Civil Clean Stoves Committee of China Rural Energy Industry Association, said that coal price increases are a national phenomenon, and there is no good solution for the time being. This winter, traditional heating methods in rural areas may have a large number of phenomena such as burning straw and burning wood.

On the afternoon of the 19th, the National Development and Reform Commission stated that it would intervene in coal prices in accordance with the law.

"I haven't seen coal prices exceed 1,000 yuan in 50 years"

On October 18, residents of Inner Mongolia, Gansu and other places reported on multiple online platforms that the price of coal for heating this winter doubled from the same period last year, putting pressure on their lives.

A resident who lives in Bayannur City told JiMu News that his family had just bought back 4 tons of coal for heating this winter in the past two days at a price of 2,000 yuan a ton. "Last year, the same coal was 800 yuan per ton, and the poorer quality was 600 yuan per ton. I am 50 years old and I have never seen coal prices rise above 1,000 yuan before." The resident said.

The boss of a local coal station said that in September, the purchase price of coal was more than 800 yuan a ton, when the coal station’s price for residents was set at 900 yuan per ton. Since October, the price of coal wholesale from Ordos has risen to more than 1,900 yuan. "The purchase price is too high, the fellow must not accept it. I have not sold it this month." He said.

Jimu News reporter learned that in addition to Bayannaoer, residents in Chifeng, Tongliao, Ordos and other places in Inner Mongolia also reported high coal prices. An employee of a coal mine in Ordos told Jimu News that there are not many restrictions on the use of coal for heating. But now the cheapest coal ex-factory price is more than 1,000, and the better one is 1,67.

Ordinary households double their spending on coal in winter

The Jimu News reporter learned that coal prices in many places in Gansu have recently been similar to those in Inner Mongolia.

Master Qiu, a taxi driver in Zhangye City, Gansu Province, told JiMu News that the price of coal in Zhangye has risen sharply recently, and many taxi passengers are discussing the matter. "After we moved to the city, our family didn't burn coal anymore, but our hometown still uses coal, about 1.5 tons per year. The coal is mainly used for heating and cooking." Master Qiu said that he needs to buy coal every year in his hometown. Take the same quality of coal purchased last year as an example. Last year it only cost 600 yuan per ton, but this year it will rise to 1,200 yuan per ton. "The coal with better quality cost 1,000 yuan a ton last year, and it needs 1,800 yuan or even higher this year." Master Qiu said.

Mr. Kang, who works in a township government in Weiyuan County, Dingxi City, Gansu Province, also feels powerless because of this. Recently, as many local people reported to him and other staff about the high increase in coal prices, as a grassroots public official, he did not know how to respond to the demands of the people. "Coal prices have been rising since August this year, but they have risen the most recently. In previous years, a catty of coal only cost about 50 cents, but now a catty of coal has risen to about two." The price is 1,000 yuan, and now the price of a ton of coal has risen to 2,400 yuan.

"Generally speaking, an average family needs at least 1.5 tons of coal for the whole winter. It used to only cost 1,500 yuan, but now it needs 3,600 yuan. This is indeed a considerable expense for local rural residents." Mr. Kang said, "We The winter here is relatively cold. It is only mid-October and there have been three snows. The temperature is below freezing, and most of the locals rely on coal for heating."

Jimu News reporters found that since September this year, a number of Gansu netizens have reported to relevant units on the issue of rising coal prices on the message board of the leaders of People's Daily Online. One of the Lanzhou netizens reported that the coal price in Lanzhou last year was 1,500 yuan per ton. When the coal price was consulted at the beginning of October this year, the price had reached 2,400 yuan per ton. Tons, and out of stock.

The rise of coal prices in many places has little to do with the heavy rains in Shanxi

Many people in the coal industry have analyzed to Jimu News that the overall price of coal has risen this year, and the price of coal for heating by residents has also risen.

Jimu News previously reported that since the beginning of this year, due to strong demand for power generation, the value of domestic coal has been on the rise. According to Zeng Hao, chief expert of Shanxi Jinzheng Energy Technology Co., Ltd., the coal used for heating by the common people is of the same type as the coal used for power generation in power plants. Prior to this, due to the tight coal supply and demand, electricity rationing was put in place in many places across the country. Later, various localities introduced policies to ensure the supply of electricity and coal, and allowed the price of electricity to rise, in order to balance supply and demand. But coal prices are not restricted, so coal prices have risen all the way up to now. At present, he has not observed what measures are introduced in various places for coal use for people's livelihood.

Zeng Hao further explained that the increase in coal prices for heating in Inner Mongolia and Gansu has little to do with the heavy rains in Shanxi. Inner Mongolia and Gansu are also coal-producing areas, so they will not purchase coal from other places in consideration of transportation costs. Another person in the coal industry also said that the heavy rain in Shanxi has only a short-term impact on coal prices. Mainly affect the output of coking coal used in steelmaking, and production has now been resumed.

Jimu News reporter noticed that as early as September 9, netizens in Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region had inquired about coal prices on the message board of People's Daily Online. The Tongliao Municipal People’s Government Office once replied that through visits to enterprises and industrial logistics parks, the Municipal Energy Bureau learned that there are three main reasons for the high prices of civilian commodity coal: First, some coal mining enterprises in the district this year due to land use and environmental assessment procedures For reasons such as coal production cuts or suspensions, coal production this year has decreased compared to previous years; second, the region’s economy has recovered this year, and major projects have been put into production one after another, leading to an increase in coal demand compared with previous years; third, due to the main purchase of coal for urban residents Local coal retail companies, and coal retail companies often purchase coal after repeated price increases by intermediate wholesalers, resulting in excessively high final sales prices.

Experts call for close attention to heating in rural areas

Ren Yanbo, secretary-general of the Civil Clean Stoves Special Committee of China Rural Energy Industry Association, told JiMu News that the Rural Energy Industry Association has also paid attention to the problem of expensive heating in rural areas this winter.

Ren Yanbo said that not only Inner Mongolia and Gansu, but also residents in Shanxi reported that the price of blue charcoal (a relatively high-quality coal) this year has risen to three times that of last year.

Ren Yanbo said: "A resident in Shanxi told me that he used blue charcoal for heating in a house of more than 100 square meters in the countryside. The heating cost in the past winter was about 3,000 yuan. This year, because of the price increase of blue charcoal, the heating cost He has received more than 8,000 yuan. He plans to leave the countryside this winter to rent a house with heating in the county town, and live there for three months. If coal prices continue to stay at the current level, it is possible that traditional and cheap heating methods will be used in rural areas this winter. Appears, such as burning straw, burning wood, etc."

"This situation is indeed a big problem this year. Now the north has not fully entered the heating season, coal prices have already risen to this level. What should we do next? There is no particularly good solution now, because fluctuations in coal prices are the market. The behavior is not only the high cost of burning coal in rural areas, but also the tight supply of coal in power plants. In areas where the conversion of coal to gas has been completed, will natural gas prices rise in the future? Now we can only say that we keep paying close attention." Ren Yanbo said.

National Development and Reform Commission will intervene in coal prices in accordance with the law

According to Caixin.com, on October 19, Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, a major coal-producing city, held a special meeting to ensure coal supply and launched coal price-limiting measures. The meeting proposed that starting from that afternoon, the coal sales price in the jurisdiction will be adjusted up and down by 100 yuan/ton based on the current market price of similar coal types. At the same time, the contract price of the fourth quarter guaranteed supply mid-term contract for the renewal of the guarantee supply is set, requiring the price of the coal mine guarantee supply cooperation agreement to not exceed 1,500 yuan/ton, and the guarantee supply cooperation price of state-owned coal mines does not exceed 1,200 yuan/ton.

On the afternoon of October 19, the National Development and Reform Commission issued a document saying that it will organize key coal companies, the China Coal Industry Association, and the China Electricity Council to hold a coal special symposium on the energy supply mechanism for this winter and next spring to study the implementation of intervention measures on coal prices in accordance with the law.

The National Development and Reform Commission will make full use of all necessary means stipulated in the "Price Law" to study specific measures to intervene in coal prices, promote the return of coal prices to a reasonable range, promote the return of the coal market to rationality, ensure safe and stable supply of energy, and ensure the warmth of the people winter.

The National Development and Reform Commission will closely follow the coal market dynamics and price trends with relevant departments, sort out and investigate contradictions and problems in the work of ensuring supply and stabilizing prices, and coordinate and resolve them in a timely manner; the market supervision department will increase law enforcement inspections and adhere to "zero tolerance" "We will severely crack down on illegal activities such as spreading false information, price collusion, price bidding, hoarding, etc., and earnestly maintain market order.

The meeting required that coal companies should effectively improve their positions, establish overall awareness, and take the initiative to ensure supply and price stability; strengthen legal awareness, operate in compliance with laws and regulations, strictly perform medium and long-term transaction contracts; actively perform social responsibilities, and promote upstream and downstream industry coordination Development, to ensure the demand for power generation and heating and coal for people's livelihood, and help the economy to operate smoothly.

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