China sees 2008 power shortfall at 10 GW

China’s power demand this year could outpace supply by up to 10 gigawatts (GW), with temporary brownouts hitting parts of the south during the summer, the deputy head of the country’s power regulator said on Tuesday.

China’s power firms are building new power stations each year but coal burning generators are struggling with soaring fuel costs, an over-stretched domestic transport system and strong competition for supplies.
Wang Yeping, vice-chairman of the State Electricity Regulatory Commission, told a news conference that fuel stocks at major power plants had slipped to levels that cover 12 days of generation, from 15 days in early March.

At plants in Hebei province bordering Beijing, Anhui province in the east, and the western municipality of Chongqing, stores had collapsed even further, to under 7 days of use.

“Since March, the country’s thermal coal supply has again shown some tightness. Coal stocks fell again. At some power plants, thermal coal supply is already quite tight,” he said.

Reuters