The risk of havoc when the world’s largest nation weans itself off coal has become apparent in the past few weeks, with China facing a severe thermal coal shortage. Supply has not kept up with a surprisingly strong recovery of global demand, which has seen Chinese industrial activity surge in tandem with domestic heating demand going into the winter. China’s national demand has increased by 13.8% during the first eight months of 2021. In the Manchurian provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang, ordinary citizens will suffer from a cold winter with limited supplies of heat and power, while industries across the entire country are having their power usage constrained by “orderly electricity use” orders. Many generators have ceased generating with…