BEIJING — Coal inflows into China's power plants have picked up, bringing their coal storage to near record highs, the National Development and Reform Commission said on Jan 28.

The power plants had 170 million metric tons of coal in the storage as of Jan 26, up 52 million tons year-on-year, hitting a record high, the China Securities Journal reported.

The coal storage can last for 22 days. Coal consumption in the plants stood at 7.15 million tons on Jan 26, down 9 percent week-on-week.

The commission had stressed ensuring a stable and orderly energy supply during important periods including the Spring Festival holiday and the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics while securing the energy supply for winter heating.

Some regions in China reported tight coal and power supply in late September last year. Following the September power blackouts, the country has called for efforts to prioritize energy sufficiency in a series of meetings.