Guizhou Province will record its first annual coal production of more than 100 million tons this year, when total output is expected to reach 110 million tons, officials said Saturday.

This would result in a 12-percent growth from last year, said officials with a meeting on the province's reform and development.

Guizhou, which boasts the riches coal reserve in the southern party of China, has steadily increased coal production for electricity generation over the past years, to cater to the major national project for sending electricity from the resources-rich west region to fuel economic growth in the energy-thirsty south and east coastal areas.

Currently the province's combined installed capacity has increased from 5.2 million kilowatts in late 2000 to 13.1 million kilowatts.

During the first 11 months this year, the electricity generated in Guizhou rose by 13.4 percent from a year earlier, which met the demand of both the eastbound electricity transmission project and the local consumers.

With the completion of some new projects, the province will strive to expand its installed capacity by 2.9 million kilowatts next year.

Source: Xinhua