A ship loads thermal coal at Huanghua Port in the city of Cangzhou, North China's Hebei Province on December 14, 2023. As the region sees heavy snowfall, local authorities and companies have stepped up shipments of thermal coal to ensure energy security in the winter. As of the end of 2022, the coal throughput of the port exceeded 2.5 billion tons, according to the Xinhua News Agency. Photo: VCG