Power shortage: threats of blackout during summertime

Beijing (AsiaNews/SCMP) – The mainland is preparing for the possibility of the worst power shortage in years expected this summer: the industry regulator, in fact, has drawn up plans for coping with an enormous black-out, predicted to be of the same calibre as the black-out that hit the East Coast of North America last August.

The details haven't been given, but increasing demands on the industry are straining the energy reserves and necessitating rationing in some provinces. As reported yesterday in China Youth Daily, Shi Yobo, Vice President of the State Electricity Regulatory Commission  declared  that the situation is aggravated by the fact that some power  generators may have to suspend production due to severe shortages of coal.

China Youth Daily reported on its internet site, Friday, that emergency plans  have been submitted to the State Council.

Mr. Shi also noted, however, that though generators and energy grids were working at full capacity,  the potential for massive power outages is growing substantially. 

Yesterday, an official commission said that, even although some provinces and power grids have emergency plans in place, face the impending crisis of such an immense scale becomes it is necessary to form a national response with energy-regulation enforced.

Power plants are usually required to preserve 25 per cent of their capacity in case of emergency, but most ignored the regulation because of the already acute energy shortage. Also even with taking measures to save energy and to distribute electricity between the various power grids, the mainland is dealing with a deficiency of 20 million  kW this quarter.  It is expected that the energy deficit will reach 25 – 30 million kW in the third quarter of this year.

 The Chinese Energy Council, that groups large power companies, says  that, in the first three months of the year, well before the peak of the summer season, 24 of 31 provinces and the greater municipalities have experienced  power shortages.

The energy demand, from January to April, went up 16.1% compared to the past year and energy consumption in four provinces rose 30 percent  in the first quarter.  The energy demand on the heavy industries grew by 20per cent.  All this led Premier Wen Jibao to invoke measures to cool down the over-heated economy. 

The Electricity Council warned that a serious deficiency of coal would continue to obstruct energy production.  Power plant  coal reserves hit record lows at  the end of March, when they went  down by more of 40 percent  compared to last year.  "Power plants only have enough coal stored to generate power for less than one week. Many have enough to generate power just for a day, " responded a council report.  The situation of the first quarter was perpetuated by the low water flows of the major rivers, which reduced the production and output from hydroelectric plants. 

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