China gears to meet power demand

China has vowed to ensure power supply to the quake- hit regions to back the rescue and reconstruction work.
 
The State Grid said it would not only cut power transmission from Sichuan to power hungry coastal region, but also organise provinces in coastal and eastern China to transmit more electricity to the quake-hit province.       

"More power would also be supplied from the central and eastern provinces to Sichuan, the State Grid said," according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.         

Power transmission from Henan province to Sichuan would be stepped up by 300,000 KW to 500,000 KW and the quake damaged power facilities repaired by June 10, it said quoting a Grid official.       

Inadequate coal reserves expected to last less than seven days in the provinces of Hebei, Anhui, Hunan and Hainan have added to the pressure.       

Sixty two power plants across China with an output capacity of 61.86 million KW have been left with reserves that would last barely three days, it said.