CHINA’S maximum power load this winter may increase by 140 gigawatts (GW) from last year’s peak, rising from a surge in electricity demand in the second half of 2023, an official said yesterday.

While winter power supply is generally guaranteed, shortages are expected in Yunnan, and there could be power shortages in Inner Mongolia, said National Energy Administration (NEA) spokesman Zhang Xing at a press briefing.

China’s power demand in September rose by 9.9% from a year earlier to 781,000 gigawatt hours (GWh), the NEA said earlier this month, as economic activity improved.

To ensure a stable supply of electricity this winter, Zhang said the NEA would ensure coal production remains at a high level, especially the production of high calorific value thermal coal in Yunnan and other regions.

Guangdong, Hainan and other major natural gas and power producing provinces are also urged to ensure a stable supply of natural gas.

The NEA said that China’s newly-added installed capacity of renewable energy hit 172 million kilowatts in the first nine months of the year, a 93% increase compared with the same period last year.

The figure accounted for 76% of the country’s total newly-added installed capacity of power generation during the period, according to the NEA. (SD-Agencies)