Energy

Coal-powered energy consumption to decrease in Q4: NEA

(cntv.cn)
Updated: 2010-10-27 14:11

China's demand for coal-powered energy is expected to drop in the fourth quarter. But China's energy authorities say diesel and petrol consumption will remain high.

The National Energy Administration, the energy sector's governing body, believes the government's efforts to cut emissions will bear fruit in the fourth quarter.

Wang Siqiang, an official at National Energy Administration, says demand for coal will cool. That's due to the slower growth of the industry.

Wang also says the annual net import of coal is expected to increase by 16 percent from a year ago.

"We predict that the demand and supply of coal will be largely balanced in the fourth quarter, and supply is relatively abundant," said Wang Siqiang

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Wang also says investment in power plants will remain relatively strong, with the whole year's newly built installed capacity expected to reach 90 million kilowatts.

He says some regions in the Southwest and Central China will experience a crunch in hydro-power supply, due to lower water volumes in some rivers during the winter season.

According to Wang, the supply of processed oil will be sufficient in the last quarter of this year, with demand continuing its growth trend.

Diesel fuel consumption is forecast to retain growth, as industrial manufacturing and construction engineering enter peak season.

Petrol consumption is also expected to experience a boom, with burgeoning car sales.