TAIYUAN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- North China's coal-rich Shanxi Province will close 35 mines in 2018, further cutting 22.4 million tonnes of coal production capacity, local authorities said Wednesday.

The province will continue to improve its coal industrial structure with more advanced coal production, which includes safer and more efficient facilities and clean production, the provincial land and resources bureau said.

China plans to cut ineffective coal capacity by 150 million tonnes in 2018, according to a government work report released March.

Shanxi produced more than 16.2 billion tonnes of coal from 1949 to 2014, accounting for one-quarter of the country's total.

Over the past two years, the province has shut down 52 mines, slashing 45.9 million tonnes of outdated coal production capacity. By 2020, the province plans to reduce at least 12 percent of its ineffective capacity, cutting coal capacity by around 110 million tonnes.