www.sp-china.com/news/powernews/200902/t20090211_116755 -
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Published on: 2/11/2009
Last Visited: 2/27/2009
Daily coal use at generators linked to the network of State Grid Corp. of China, the nation's dominant electricity supplier, slumped to 1.69 million metric tons, David Fang, a director at the China Coal Transport and Distribution Association, said by phone from Beijing yesterday, citing data from the grid operator.
Factory output contracted for a fourth month in January as exports fell because of the global recession, cutting electricity consumption, a government-backed survey showed on Feb. 5.
Weekly coal prices at Qinhuangdao port, a domestic benchmark, dropped about 3 percent in the seven days to Feb. 9, according to the coal distribution group.
"Power demand remained weak last month, especially as factories shut during the Lunar New Year holidays," Fang said.
Coal stockpiles at power plants more than doubled to 36.4 million tons as of Jan. 31 from the year-earlier period, said Fang, citing State Grid statistics.
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Electricity generation fell 6.7 percent nationwide in the first half of January from a year earlier, Fang said.
Coal- fired power output plunged 10 percent during the same period, he said.