China rations electricity to factories as heatwave sees power demand surge
Chinese lithium hub Sichuan province will ration electricity supply to factories until Saturday, state media reported, as a heatwave sends power demands soaring and dries up reservoirs.
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The region relies on dams to generate 80% of its electricity, but rivers in the area have dried up this summer, Beijing’s Water Resources Ministry said.
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The province in China’s south-west produces half the nation’s lithium, used in batteries for electric vehicles, and its hydropower projects provide electricity to industrial hubs along the country’s east coast.
But the local government has decided to prioritise residential power supply, ordering industrial users in 19 out of 21 cities in the province to suspend production until Saturday, according to a notice issued Sunday.
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