China Electricity Council (CEC) announced on
Thursday that this year domestic electricity consumption is
expected to reach 2,456 billion kWh, with a rise of 13 percent in
the rate of its increase. It also forecast that shortages in the
last quarter would fall substantially.
Its analysis said the large number of additional supplies now
online meant demand was increasingly being met, but that there
would still be shortfalls in some areas. Power shortages this
winter and next spring were mainly expected in northern, southern
and central regions, while in eastern, northeastern and
northwestern areas a balance was predicted.
The situation was expected to be most serious in the fourth
quarter of the year in the north, with a shortage of about 6.3
million kWh. In the south, electricity and coal shortages were
forecast to be worse than in the third quarter.
Central areas have been affected by drought, and shortages in
December and January were predicted due to power stations'
insufficient water supplies and need of repair.
The situation in the east of the country has eased greatly,
though Zhejiang and Shanghai are worse off than their immediate
neighbors. Northeastern and northwestern regions are expected to
have an overall balance of supply and demand.
Xinhua News Agency quoted CEC as saying that in 2006 domestic
electricity consumption would increase 10.5 percent to 2,713
billion kWh, but that the new supplies would alleviate the
situation.
Next year, shortages were expected to be concentrated in the
north and south, with less excess supply in the east during the
summer, balanced supply and demand in central and northeastern
areas, and oversupply in the northwest.
At its most, the shortfall in supply was predicted to be 7.5
million kWh in summer and 8.9 million kWh in winter.
(China.org.cn by Zhou Jing, October 29, 2005)