More than 5 million Chinese have suffered recurring power outages due to a heatwave that has ravaged the country for more than two months. Temperatures in the southwestern province of Sichuan have soared to over 40C in recent days, sending up electricity demand particularly for air conditioning and disrupting supplies, forcing factories to close.
The region relies heavily on hydroelectric power plants, whose output accounts for about 80% of power generation capacity, but the heatwave caused reservoirs to recede, fueling disputes over how to meet growing demand.
A local power company said Dazhou, a city of 5.4 million people in the northeast of the province, had intermittent electricity on Wednesday. According to Chinese newspaper The Paper, local residents faced disruptions of up to three hours due to the extremely heavy load on the transmission lines, which is affecting both urban areas and rural villages in the region.
Several factories in Sichuan were forced to shut down after authorities ordered them to prioritize supplying residential areas. A notice released over the weekend ordered the suspension of industrial activities in 19 of the province’s 21 cities.
Among the factories affected is a joint venture between Toyota and a Chinese company, which had to close last Monday (15). The local press points out that the largest maker of batteries for electric cars, Contemporary Amperex Technology, has also stopped its production in Yibin city.
China, Midland
Sichuan province concentrates half of China’s production of lithium, a material used in batteries. The region also has numerous hydroelectric power plants that supply the important industrial zones on China’s east coast.
On Wednesday, the local government announced it would ration energy supplies to homes, offices and shopping malls. Fountains, light shows and commercial activities after dark have also been suspended. According to the Sichuan Daily, government officials have been ordered to set air conditioners to at least 26C and use more stairs than elevators.
The current Chinese heatwave has lasted 64 days, the longest since full records began in 1961. Several cities have seen the highest temperatures in their history. On Wednesday, the national meteorological observatory extended its red alert, the highest on a fourlevel scale.
China has warned it will face an increase in extreme events in the coming years as it tries to adapt to climate change and rising temperatures. Average rainfall in Sichuan is 51% lower than in previous years, according to staterun Xinhua News Agency.
Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng said more efforts are needed to ensure energy supplies to households and key industries.