By Fu Jing and Li Zengxin (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-01-15 14:45

A shortage in power supply has emerged in China's five southern provinces, mainly due to decreasing coal-to-power capacity, according to an executive with China Southern Power Grid, a State-owned power supplier.

In an interview with China Daily, on the sidelines of an energy and economic development forum held in Beijing, Xiao Peng, vice general manager of China Southern Power Grid, said the shortage was caused by multiple factors: the shutting down of small coal mines and coal-to-power furnaces that led to decrease in coal-to-power capacity, the weather drought in the South that led to lower hydropower capacity and a labor shortage from migrant residents returning to their hometowns for the upcoming Spring Festival holidays.

As a result, the five provinces, including Guangdong and Guangxi, are suffering a power capacity decrease of 10.3 million kilowatt-hours from the coal shortage alone. China Southern Power Grid has submitted an emergency report to the central government, Xiao said.

During the 11th Five-Year Program period, the company plans to shut down coal-to-electricity facilities with 13.27 million kilowatt-hours capacity, accounting for 19 percent of its total power generating capacity.

This year, power supply is expected to be 6 million kilowatt-hours short of aggregate demand though after the first quarter, when the flood season comes, the problem may alleviate, Xiao said.