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Sunday, August 28th, 2022

China is burning more coal as historic heatwave cripples its hydroelectricity capacity

Author:     Phil Rosen
Source:     Insider
Publication Date:     Aug 23, 2022 | 6:22 AM
 Link: China is burning more coal as historic heatwave cripples its hydroelectricity capacity
Stephan:   This is a huge deal that is not getting close to the attention it should. In climate change a single nation, by what it does, can impact the wellbeing of the entire planet and all the beings on it. China was making a significant effort to get out of the carbon energy era, but climate change has overwhelmed the Chinese and their solution will only make matters worse. I think they know that but wellbeing is not their first priority, nor are the Chinese people, preserving the economy is what is driving this.
The water level of the Jialing River, one of the tributaries of the Yangtze River, has dropped due to high temperature and drought. 
Credit: Zhong Guilin/VCG / Getty
  • China is facing its worst heatwave and drought in over half a century, and it has hit the country’s hydroelectric power.
  • The vital Yangtze River has seen some parts dry up, impacting water supply for electricity generation. 
  • In the first half of August, China’s coal-burning was 15% higher than the same time last year.

China’s most dire heatwave and drought in over half a century has dried up parts of the Yangtze River, forcing the country to burn more coal as hydroelectricity capacity declines. 

In the first two weeks of August, China burned 8.16 million tonnes of thermal coal per day, a 15% increase from a year ago, data from the National Development and Reform Commission compiled by CNN shows. On August 3, thermal coal-use hit a one-day record of 8.5 million tonnes. 

Also this month, Sichuan Guang’an Power Generation, one of the largest coal-fired power plants in China, increased its electricity generation by 170% […]

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1 Comment

  1. Albus Eddie on Wednesday, August 31, 2022 at 10:22 am

    Interesting article which really highlights how the increases in Chinese payments to the Russians are providing financial support for the war in Ukraine. Everything is connected to everything else.