Hot summer leads to record power generation

Hot weather in many parts of China caused power companies to generate record amounts of electricity in July to meet demand, the country's top economic planner said Friday.

On July 26, power plants in China generated a record 15.1 billion kilowatt-hours (kwh) of electricity, an increase of 8.2 percent year-on-year, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement on its website.

In mid-July, the plants' electrical output averaged around 14 billion kwh daily, said the statement.

The rise in power output has mainly been attributed to the increased usage of air conditioners and industrial demands, the statement said.

Industrial demands for electricity have been strong due to steady production growth, with industrial power usage up 11.7 percent year-on-year in the first half of this year, the statement said.

The commission predicted that the amount of power used by air conditioners will rise by 12.5 percent year-on-year to reach 180 million kilowatts during the summer's temperature peak. The amount will account for one-fourth of the country's total power consumption at that point, the statement added.

The NDRC said power supply and demand have generally been stable, but that the situation will not be as steady in the following days.

It expects power shortages to worsen in places that have previously suffered from shortages, as the hot weather will linger in most parts of south China, with temperatures reaching up to 39 degrees Celsius.

The NDRC asked power companies to increase purchases of coal in order to boost power generation. Coal and petroleum companies should work to boost supplies of coal and gas to meet demand, it said.