Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on April 16 showed that in March, raw coal production at large-scale industrial enterprises (hereinafter referred to as “large-scale industrial enterprises”) remained stable, crude oil production continued to grow, natural gas production gained momentum, and electricity production grew steadily.

Raw coal production remained stable. In March, raw coal output from large-scale industrial enterprises reached 440 million tons, unchanged from the previous year; the daily average output was 14.21 million tons. From January to March, raw coal output from large-scale industrial enterprises totaled 1.2 billion tons, up 0.1% year-on-year.

Crude oil production continued to grow. In March, crude oil output from enterprises above designated size reached 19.07 million tons, up 0.2% year-on-year; the daily average output was 615,000 tons. From January to March, crude oil output from enterprises above designated size totaled 54.8 million tons, up 1.3% year-on-year.

Crude oil processing shifted from growth to decline. In March, crude oil processing volume from enterprises above designated size was 61.67 million tons, down 2.2% year-on-year; the daily average processing volume was 1.989 million tons. From January to March, large-scale industrial enterprises processed 184.31 million tons of crude oil, up 1.1% year-on-year.

The growth rate of natural gas production accelerated. In March, natural gas production by large-scale industrial enterprises reached 23.4 billion cubic meters, up 3.0% year-on-year, with the growth rate accelerating by 0.1 percentage points compared to January–February; the daily average output was 750 million cubic meters. From January to March, natural gas production by large-scale industrial enterprises totaled 68.1 billion cubic meters, up 3.0% year-on-year.

Electricity production in large-scale industrial enterprises grew steadily. In March, electricity generation by large-scale industrial enterprises reached 802.5 billion kilowatt-hours, up 1.4% year-on-year, with the growth rate slowing by 2.7 percentage points compared to January–February; the daily average generation was 25.89 billion kilowatt-hours. From January to March, electricity generation by large-scale industrial enterprises totaled 2,378.2 billion kilowatt-hours, up 3.4% year-on-year.

Additionally, on April 16, Mao Shengyong, Deputy Director of the National Bureau of Statistics, stated at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office that due to the current geopolitical conflicts, international energy prices have surged significantly. In some countries, soaring oil prices and supply shortages have severely impacted production and daily life. In contrast, China’s domestic energy supply remains stable and orderly. Through the timely implementation of temporary price controls, the daily lives of residents and business operations have not been affected. Energy supplies for both production and daily life are ample and well-secured. This is attributable to our forward-looking development of the new energy industry over the years, which has established a diversified energy supply system and greatly enhanced the autonomy and stability of China’s economy.

Mao Shengyong noted that currently, oil accounts for less than 20% of China’s total energy consumption, while coal’s role as a safety net has strengthened, accounting for over 50%. In recent years, the development of new energy sources such as wind and solar power has accelerated, and the share of non-fossil energy consumption has risen, meaning that fluctuations in the international crude oil market generally have a limited impact on China’s market.

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