BEIJING, Mar. 12 (Platts) -- China's annual coal demand is estimated to reach 4.2 billion mt by 2015, industry sources said Friday, citing the soon-to-be-publicized five-year development plan for the coal industry.

Of the annual demand of 4.2 billion mt, China's domestic coal output could account for 4.05 billion mt, up from 3.52 billion mt in 2011, and imported coal could be 150 million mt, compared with 182.4 million mt in 2011.

Late last month, Wu Yin, vice director of China's National Energy Administration, estimated that China's annual coal demand would be about 3.9 billion mt by 2015.

Wu was speaking at a meeting held in Beijing over February 24-25.

Back in May 2011, a draft of the five-year development plan for the coal industry indicated that China's national coal output would reach 3.79 billion mt by 2015.

The revisions of the estimates reflected possible changes in China's economic growth rates, Huang Jingan, chairman of the China Coking Coal Association said Friday.

And he added that unless China's economy completed some readjustments in the first half of the year, China's coal, electricity, and steel demand could see a setback in 2012.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Li Pumin, vice secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission told a press conference that China will push ahead with restructuring and consolidation across sectors as coal, steel, cement, non-ferrous metals, petroleum and chemicals, equipment manufacturing, shipbuilding, and automobiles in 2012.

A total of Yuan 16 billion ($2.5 billion) has been earmarked to support the revitalization and technological upgrade of these sectors, up Yuan 1 billion, or 6.7%, year on year.