China’s gas-fired power plants face closure on natural gas shortage

BEIJING (AFX) – The bulk of China’s gas-fired power plants are on the verge of closure due to a shortage of natural gas, the China Daily reported.

Installed capacity of China’s power plants reached 10.7 gigawatts at the end of 2005, but some four gigawatts remain unused in the east of the country due to the lack of gas supplies, the newspaper said, citing Wang Yonggan, secretary general of China Electricity Council.

South China is also facing similar problems, largely because of the high energy demands of Guangdong province, the newspaper said.

The 10.7 total gigawatt capacity of China’s gas power plants accounts for 2.1 pct of the country’s total power-generating facilities, which reached 508 gigawatts at the end of last year.

Forbes