China's coal consumption rose 9% from a year earlier to 2.01 billion metric tons in the first three quarters of 2009, with output up 10.3% to 2.14 billion tons, the Energy Bureau of the National Development and Reform Commission said Monday.

The nation imported 85.73 million tons of coal and exported 16.85 million tons in that period, making it a net coal importer for the the first time.

China's crude oil production was down 0.5% year on year to 140 million tons in the first three quarters; imports registered the same amount, up 7.8% year on year. A total of 152 million tons of refined oil were consumed in the first three quarters.

Nearly 33% of the 50 million KWs of installed electricity generation capacity during the first three quarters of the year was powered by clean energy, and investment in coal fired power plants has shrunk to 41.6% of the total, the bureau noted.

Source: http://www.china-cbn.com/s/n/000002/20091027/020000108873.shtml