CNOOC, Datong Coal in clean power project

China National Offshore Oil Corp has agreed with Datong Coal Mine Group, the nation's second-largest coal producer, to plough 30 billion yuan (HK$34.09 billion) into an integrated coal-based clean energy project.

The venture, using two coal mines each with an annual capacity of 10 million tonnes, would feature a plant capable of turning coal into 4 billion cubic metres of natural gas and unspecified amounts of petrol, diesel and chemicals, Datong Coal said.

Located in coal-rich Datong in Shanxi province, the project would have three coal waste-burning power generators each with 300 megawatts of capacity. It would be an 'energy-saving, clean, highly efficient, low carbon dioxide emission' project, it said.