China has rationed electricity to businesses in the southwestern part of the country due to high temperatures increasing demand, while hydroelectric facilities face weak water flows, state media reported.
In southwest China’s Sichuan province, temperatures have regularly topped 40 degrees Celsius in recent days, prompting almost routine use of air conditioning in the region of 84 million people.
To generate the electricity it needs, Sichuan is 80% dependent on hydroelectric dams. However, waterways in the region are affected by drought, according to China’s Ministry of Water Resources.
To conserve energy, 19 cities in the province have ordered factories and businesses to suspend operations, according to a statement published Sunday and carried by state media.
This measure, which will be in effect until Saturday, does not concern individuals.
Some businesses may, however, operate at limited capacity to meet special needs.
Sichuan is an important region in China for the manufacture of lithium, a metal used in electric batteries.
A factory operated by the Taiwanese technology giant Foxconn, which is the main supplier of the US Apple, has mainly suspended its production.
Because of the restrictions, lithium production is expected to fall by at least 1,200 tonnes, which is leading to a rise in lithium carbonate prices, analyst Susan Chu of specialist Rystad Energy told AFP.
The coastal provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu in eastern China, as well as Anhui, also in the eastern part of the country, have also imposed metered electricity for professionals.
China reissued a red alert on Monday due to heatwave temperatures in several areas.
Heat waves in the middle of summer are not uncommon in China, especially in its western and southern parts.
However, they seem to be getting stronger in recent years with climate deregulation, according to scientists.
SOURCE: AMPE
Source: Capital
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