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)