Economically robust Guangdong Province in south China is not
likely to see a significant improvement in the supply of energy in
the second half of the year.
According to the provincial economic and trade commission, the
supply of electric power and oil products will remain below demand
over the next six months in Guangdong, particularly in the Pearl
River Delta.
Wen Guohui, deputy director of the commission, said 35 percent
of the province's total energy consumption is used by air
conditioners during sweltering summer which is the peak season for
power consumption.
He predicted by the third quarter the province will be short 4
million kilowatts of power.
Meanwhile, Guangdong is forecast this year to require 7.2
million tons of gasoline and 13.3 million tons of diesel oil, a
year-on-year growth of 6.2 percent.
The two major oil companies in China, PetroChina and Sinopec,
plan to provide 19.25 million tons of oil products for the
province, creating a shortfall of 1.25 million tons.
Price hikes for petroleum products on the international market
will also continue to challenge oil-fired power generating units,
Wen Guohui said.
Guangdong plans to buy more electricity from other provinces and
implement better power conservation measures.
The province plans to ask the two major oil suppliers to
increase supplies and it will seek ways of improving the delivery
of coal from the north.
(Xinhua News Agency July 26, 2006)