China Coal Energy coal sales up 12 pct in Jan-Feb

SHANGHAI, March 10 (Reuters) - China Coal Energy Corp (1898.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)(601898.SS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) posted a 12 percent climb in coal sales in January and February from a year earlier to 14.8 million tonnes.

Coal output at China's second-largest coal producer, after Shenhua Energy (1088.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), rose 8 percent from a year earlier to 17.6 million tonnes, it said on its Web site www.chinacoal.com.

The worst snow and ice storms in decades hit parts of central and southern China in late January and early February, triggering severe coal and power shortages.

Beijing asked coal mines to cancel their Lunar New Year holiday to boost production, while calling on the transport sector to give priority to coal cargoes.

China Coal said its domestic sales in the two months soared 46 percent from a year earlier, to 12.7 million tonnes.

Exports fell to 2.1 million tonnes. Beijing issued a temporary ban on coal exports in January due to the domestic shortage. (Reporting by Rujun Shen; Editing by Edmund Klamann)