AsiaElec: China faces power cuts and drought

Parts of China are facing a major electricity shortage as temperatures reach record highs and drought takes the country’s hydro capacity offline.

The Central China Grid said that its peak load had fallen to 190 GW on August 23, against a seasonal norm of 260 GW, which would be available if hydro and coal capacity were operating as normal. About half of the country’s hydro capacity is currently offline.

Meanwhile, water levels in the Yangtze River are low, with water flows up to 50% below usual levels, lowering hydro output and impeding supply chains dependent on shipping movements.

Lauri Myllyvirta, lead researcher at Centre for Research into Energy and Clean Air (CREA), said that weather events, or more accurately, our new normal climate, are challenging the grid through increased use of air conditioning and more unpredictable rainfall.