BEIJING (Reuters -China’s total coal production reached a record high in November. Beijing continues to encourage miners to boost their production in order to provide enough energy for the winter heating season.

China was the biggest consumer and miner of coal in the world last month. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics revealed this Wednesday.

It is a record compared to the previous October record (357.09,000,000 tonnes) and an increase of 4.6% over last year.

In 2021’s first 11 months, the production reached 3.67 Billion tonnes. That is an increase of 4.2% over last year.

The central government stressed repeatedly the importance of ensuring energy supply, including for heating and power generation, during winter.

Authorities have ordered coal miners to operate at their maximum capacity since October as Beijing attempted to control red-hot coal prices and avoid a repeat of the September power crisis that disrupted industry and led to inflation.

However, coal prices have been supported recently by fears that China’s recent crackdowns against illegal mining could affect the country’s ability boost its production.