Distribution, Character and Utilization of Lignite in China

China enjoys rich lignite resources. However, the development and utilization level of lignite in China is low compared with other countries. The lignite in China is distributed mainly in the eastern areas of Inner Mongolia and in the northeast provinces. The characteristics of China´s lignite are closely related to its coal-forming age. Due to the shallow buried coal seams, most parts of the lignite coalfields in China use adit or inclined shaft mining. In China, the application of lignite includes combustion for power generation, pyrolysis and coking, liquefaction, gasification and preparation of wax etc..