China's Hydropower Output Drops 24.5% in September

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources China (Beijing, China)--Because of drought conditions throughout China, the country's hydropower output was 56.87 billion kilowatt-hours in September 2011, a drop of 24.5% year over year, which was 9.9 percentage points more than the decline in the previous month, according to a statement issued by the National Development and Reform Commission announced on October 14.

In September 2011, the flow of major river valleys in China remained very low, and the runoff for major hydropower plants in the state grid was about 15% lower than average. The runoff of the upstream of the Yellow River was at an average level. The middle reaches of the Yalujiang and Yellow rivers were about 20-30% higher than the average level, and the Hanjiang River was about 1.6 times the average level.

However, the runoff of other major river valleys was lower than average. The upstream runoff volumes of the Changjiang River, the Minjiang River of Fujian, the Minjiang River of Sichuan, and the Dadu River were 30-40% lower than average. Runoff of the Qingjiang River, the Yuanjiang River, the Ganjiang River, the Yalongjiang River, the downstream Wujiang River, and the No. 2 Songhuajiang River was 60-80% less than average levels. The runoff of major hydropower plants on the China Southern Grid was far below average. The runoff of the Hongshuihe and Wujiang rivers was 80% lower than the average level; that of the Lancang River was nearly 40% less than average.

At the end of September, total usable water storage in key hydropower plants nationwide was 104.9 billion cubic meters, a decline of 18.5% year over year; the stored energy value was equal to 28.1 billion kilowatt-hours, a drop of 36% year over year. Total usable water storage and the corresponding energy value within the coverage of the state grid was 97.1 billion cubic meters and 19.6 billion kilowatt-hours, a drop of 8.9% and 10.43% year over year, respectively; the total usable water storage and the corresponding energy value within the coverage of the China Southern Grid was 7.8 billion cubic meters and 8.5 billion kilowatt-hours, a drop of 64.9% and 61.4% year over year, respectively.

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