Heatwave in China threatens rice and cotton crops and strains the electricity grid

• Image Credit: Internet

• Jul 28, 2022 | Kabir Chakraborty

China has so far escaped the severe power outages that occurred when there was a statewide coal shortage last year. The supply of coal is significantly higher now that miners were instructed to increase production to record levels, according to the authorities, who are confident that the current situation can be controlled. color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">

color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">Digital Desk: As China attempts to boost
industrial activity to bolster the economy, scorching temperatures are putting
a burden on the country's electrical networks. Meanwhile, farmers are
frantically trying to protect crops like rice and cotton from the effects of
the intense heat.

mso-themecolor:text1">In order to ensure that there is adequate electricity to
run air conditioners during peak hours, certain locations have already seen
record-high power demand. In southern China, the heat is threatening the crops
of rice, fruit, and vegetables, while in Xinjiang, where cotton is grown,
melting glaciers are causing floods.

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mso-themecolor:text1">China's ability to maintain the operation of its
industries is being put to the test by the heat, from the southern technology
hub of Shenzhen to the eastern manufacturing region of Zhejiang, which borders
Shanghai. Another indication of the dangers posed by increasingly regular
extreme weather events brought on by climate change is the interruptions in the
world's second-largest economy. This summer, heat waves have also devastated
the US, Europe, and India.

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mso-themecolor:text1">China has so far escaped the severe power outages that
occurred when there was a statewide coal shortage last year. The supply of coal
is significantly higher now that miners were instructed to increase production
to record levels, according to the authorities, who are confident that the
current situation can be controlled.

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mso-themecolor:text1">The National Energy Administration highlighted a
record-breaking 52 percent growth in power plant inventories to 170 million
tonnes at the conclusion of the first half of the year at a briefing on
Wednesday. But almost a month of consistently hot weather will have already
depleted their supplies. According to China Coal Resources, inventories kept in
six power plants in the coastal regions with a lot of industry fell to a
four-year low last week with less than 12 days of usage.

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mso-themecolor:text1">Most cities may experience increases in demand through
August, but this year we anticipate a less severe power shortage, according to
BloombergNEF analyst Hanyang Wei.

color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">According to the China Meteorological
Administration, southern China will experience yet another heat wave over the
next ten days.

mso-themecolor:text1">However, in the instance of Guangdong, the southern
economic powerhouse, where this year's hot wave has brought demand far closer
to the grid's limits, equipment breakdowns rather than a lack of coal have been
the root of the issues, according to BNEF's Hanyang.

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According to Li Fulong, an official at the NEA, China
anticipates its energy demand to increase in the second half of the year
following different initiatives to stimulate the economy, resulting in another
spike in coal, gas, and electricity demand in the winter.