Freezing China frets over coal stocks, energy supplies

Beijing - Chinese cities hit by record snowfall and freezing temperatures have been forced to extend gas and electricity rationing, reports said on Thursday. Seven regions have rationed electricity for industrial use while the capital Beijing has introduced emergency measures to cope with a shortage of natural gas, used to heat most of the city's homes.

The measures come amid concerns over dwindling coal supplies and rising food prices.

The severe cold, in many areas the worst for some 40 years, prompted a surge in energy demand at a time when coal supplies were affected by heavy snow in key coal-mining provinces, according to the Global Times newspaper.

At the end of 2009, coal stockpiles for the Central China grid were sufficient for only 10 days, less than the recommended 15 days, said another report in the China Daily.

An earlier report by the Guangdong Daily newspaper said some power stations in central China were down to just three days' supply of coal, while northern coal producers had raised prices by about 25 per cent.

Officials reassured the public that households were not at risk, and that the cold spell would end in about one week.

"Even under extreme circumstances, we will ensure residential electricity supply, which is always the top priority," said Wang Changxing, a spokesman for the Shanghai grid, quoted by the China Daily.

A belt of heavy snow moved across northern, eastern and central China this week, bringing temperatures of minus 16.7 degrees Celsius to Beijing on Wednesday, the lowest the capital has seen for 38 years.

Northern areas of the country have government-run district heating schemes, but residents of normally warmer southern areas such as Shanghai rely on air conditioners and electric heaters in the winter.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/302503,freezing-china-frets-over-coal-stocks-energy-supplies.html.