Power supply in China's largest city back to normal

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-11-20 21:33

BEIJING: Power supplies in Shanghai returned to normal as some failed electrical generators resumed operations Friday, Wang Yiyu, a senior official of the State Grid Corp. of China (SGCC), told Xinhua Friday.

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Sudden temperature drops in the city on November 17 led to a surge in power demand for heating that resulted in the failure of five power generator sets Tuesday, which reduced power-generating capacity by around 1.5 million kilowatts, the official said.

Later, SGCC's power company in Shanghai, the Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company, restricted power supplies.

Since November, China's power demand has been increasing as rain and snow affects most parts of the country.

The northeastern and northwestern regions, and some provinces in the north, usually the coldest areas in China, all reported record highs for power demand, according to Wang.

On Wednesday, the State Grid said coal stocks for power plants were above the "alert" level in snow-hit regions, which would guarantee adequate and continuous power supplies.