For the fifth summer in a row, south China's Guangdong Province is facing major electricity
shortages, said an official with the provincial economic and trade
commission.
"In April, we were short of four million kw of power, far above
the 2.55-3.69 million kw predicted," said an official in charge of
electricity resources management.
A lack of power and a lack of migrant workers are holding back
the economy in the Pearl River Delta region and some foreign
investors have begun to divert funds to other places.
The power company in the provincial capital Guangzhou issued a
red alert on electricity consumption in May. Some companies have
decided to down tools in turns and some have stopped production
between 8:30 in the morning and 11:00 at night.
Insufficient generating units, a shortage of water and gas and
the closure of some small thermal power plants have all contributed
to the power shortage in Guangdong, said the official.
China Southern Power Grid Corp (CSG), which is responsible for
supplying electricity to Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan and
Hainan, upped Guangdong's electricity to 10.65 million kw in May,
1.03 million kw more than May last year.
CSG also hopes to purchase electricity from the State Power Grid
Corp's Three Gorges project, but the official said the maximum
amount Guangdong could receive would be only three million kw.
(Xinhua News Agency May 28, 2007)