VZCZCXRO3631
RR RUEHCN RUEHVC
DE RUEHGH #0074 0521230
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 211230Z FEB 08
FM AMCONSUL SHANGHAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6707
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 7244
UNCLAS SHANGHAI 000074
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/CM, EEB, OES, AND INR
USDOC FOR 4420
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC DAS KASOFF, MELCHER AND MCQUEEN
TREASURY FOR OASIA/DOHNER, WRIGHT, MEDIEROS, CUSHMAN
STATE PASS USTR STRATFORD
STATE PASS USNRC FOR CHAIRMAN KLEIN
USDOE FOR MIZROCH/CHIANG/GINSBERG
USDOE FOR INTERNATIONAL/PUMPHREY AND GEBERT
STATE PASS NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION CHAN/KAFAFI/HUBER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG ECON PGOV CH
SUBJECT: ZHEJIANG POWER NEEDS MET BY BLACKOUTS IN SHANGHAI
REF: A. BEIJING 303
B. SHANGHAI 51
(U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified and for official
use only. Not for distribution outside of USG channels or via
the internet.
1. (SBU) Summary: Zhejiang Province's electrical grid and power
supply system that was severely damaged during the recent winter
storms (Refs A and B) have been largely repaired, but generation
and transmission capacity is not yet fully restored. The
Shanghai Electric Power Company (SEPC) has sent more than 700
employees to assist in the repairs of neighboring Zhejiang's
electrical network and is conducting rolling black-outs of
industrial users in Shanghai in order to supply Zhejiang with
electricity, according to an SEPC official on February 20. End
summary.
2. (U) According to media reports, Zhejiang's power grid had the
largest number of downed 500 kilovolt transmission lines in
China leading to power outages covering more than 70 percent of
the province. More than 23 million people were without
electricity. Power outages and damage to power lines
contributed to the more than USD 230 million in economic losses
sustained by Zhejiang Province.
3. (U) By February 20, more than 96 percent of the power users
affected by blackouts in Zhejiang Province were back online.
Areas that were still without power are mainly located in
villages in remote geographical areas. State Grid Vice General
Manager Chen Jingxing was quoted in local media as promising
that Zhejiang's grid will be fully-repaired by March 20.
Generation and transmission capacity in Zhejiang is expected to
be about 1,650 megawatts by February 21, almost 600 megawatts
short of a projected demand of 2,300 megawatts as factories
shuttered for Chinese New Year come back online. This energy
shortfall will be met by blackouts of industrial users in order
to insure adequate residential supplies in urban areas,
according to media reports.
4. (SBU) According to the SEPC Foreign Affairs Office Director
Zhao Yu, Shanghai has also instituted rolling black outs of
electricity to heavy industrial power users in the chemical and
metal industries in an attempt to free up between 300-500
megawatts of electricity that will then be re-routed to Zhejiang
and other areas affected by the storms. The rolling blackouts
were instituted on top of the January 28 requirement that 18
major industrial electricity consumers reschedule production to
non-peak hours.
5. (SBU) Media reports, quoting the Shanghai Economic
Commission, indicate that Shanghai has its own generating
capacity of 11.3 million kilowatts, and it imports a further
four million kilowatts to meet demand. (Note: This figure is
for normal production, as indicated in Ref A, Shanghai has the
capability to generate a peak of approximately 1,400 megawatts.
End note.) At the height of the winter storm and concomitant
unusually cold weather, peak grid load in Shanghai hit 1,802
megawatts on January 17, before rationing measures were
enforced. With the rolling blackouts and other reductions in
consumption, Shanghai's grid load is expected to be average
1,560 megawatts in February.
JARRETT