Ukraine's coal output increased by 4.6% year-on-year to 7.35 million mt in March from 7.03 million mt year earlier, the energy and coal industry ministry reported.
March coal output rose by 7.3% from February's 6.85 million mt.
Ukraine extracted 21.6 million mt of coal in the first quarter, up 7.5% year-on-year from 20.1 million mt.
Ukraine plans to increase coal output by 2.5% year-on-year to 84 million mt in 2012 to provide energy to its thermal power plants as it plans to reduce imports of natural gas from Russia, the ministry said.
In 2011 Ukraine's coal output increased by 9% year-on-year, or by 6.76 million mt, to 81.99 million mt.
The country produced 56.97 million mt of thermal coal in 2011, up 11.6% year-on-year, while output of coking coal rose 3.5% to 25.02 million mt.
Source: Platts