Power shortage causes blackouts nationwide (Xinhua) Updated: 2005-01-21 20:59
Twenty-one Chinese provincial power grids have been obliged to impose
blackouts since this January as a result of the surging demand for power caused
by the cold winter and rapid economic growth, the State Grid Corporation said
Friday.
Liu Zhenya, general manager of the corporation, said at an on-going work
conference that the power load has grown since the winter set in, with the peak
generating capacity up to more than 6. 4 billion kwh per day, a year-on-year
rise of 15.1 percent.
In candlelight: Two
school kids play with their toys at home in Nanchang, capital of eastern
China's Jiangxi province, Jan.5, 2005. Power shortage has caused
increasing blackouts in China this winter.
[newsphoto]
Three regional power grids,
covering China's north, northeast and northwest areas, together with 14
provincial power grids, reported the peak power consumption loads in history,
Liu said.
The gap between the power supply and demand will face further threats in
winter from the lower generation of both hydropower and thermal power, because
of the shortage of rainfall and coal, he acknowledged.
He said the corporation has mapped out specific measures to ease the problem
and to ensure power supply during the traditional Spring Festival, China's lunar
new year for family reunion.
Special checks of power generation security will be launched to guarantee
sufficient power for common residents' daily life, government departments,
hospitals, media groups, transportation, mines and other important customers.
The corporation will rely on cross-regional power transfer to balance
supplies in different areas and direct industrial users to ward off peak
consumption times.
China's consumption of electric power is forecast to reach 2, 425 billion kwh
in 2005, and power shortage will stay above 20 million kilowatts in summer.
The corporation is planning to develop an extra-high-voltage power
transmission network, which will carry the power from the west to the
energy-thirsty east at much lower costs in transportation and environment, Liu
said.
