Power will remain on despite shortages - ResearchInChina
Date:2008-06-02
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CHINA is taking emergency measures to cope with "short supplies of coal, diesel and power in some areas,'' and has vowed energy supply will be ensured during reconstruction in quake zones.
Guizhou, Shaanxi provinces and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region would continue to supply coal to quake-hit areas to ensure the power generation of thermal power stations there, said an emergency circular from the State Council made available to Xinhua on Saturday.
The overall supply and demand for coal, oil, electricity and agricultural goods and materials are now in balance, with short supplies in some areas, said the circular.
Guarantees
It urged local governments to guarantee the supplies of coal, oil, gas, electricity and agricultural goods, saying they would provide the basis for disaster relief, garnering agricultural harvests for the whole year, and maintaining the national economy.
China's coal-fired power industry has been under stress from coal shortages this year, but the 8.0-magnitude earthquake exacerbated the problem as it damaged a considerable number of the hydropower stations in southwest China.
The stations remain unable to restore power generation in the near future.
Thermal power stations would make up for the lost hydropower during the reconstruction period, generating an even higher demand for coal. As of May 21, coal stocks had fallen to a level that was sufficient for less than seven days in some power plants in Sichuan Province with an aggregate amount of power capacity of 4 gigawatts.
In response, the railway authorities used six trains to ship coal from Guizhou, Shaanxi and Henan provinces to Sichuan, and the government may still draw on power supply from the Three Gorges Dam to make ends meet.
The circular urged coal-manufacturing provinces to increase their output and speed up the approval process for resumption of production at small coal mines that have been suspended from operation to amend safety problems.
Coal-producing counties needed to wait for the approval of provincial governments and report to the National Development and Reform Commission and State Administration of Work Safety if they planned to reduce one third of their coal output, according to the circular.
Coal production in the quake zone should also be restored as soon as possible when work safety could be ensured. Thermal power plants should take measures to keep no less than 15 days of coal stock, said the circular.
The circular also ordered the China National Petroleum Corporation and Sinopec to guarantee oil supply to the earthquake zone.
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