According to the China Electricity Council (CEC), China generated almost 3.9 billion MWh of electricity in May, up 2.7 per cent year on year.
Coal-fired power generation accounted for 3.02 billion MWh of the total, down 1.5 per cent on last year, while hydro power accounted for 0.067 billion MWh, up 31.1 per cent over the same period, the council said in a report.
During the first five months of 2012, China's electricity output rose 4.7 per cent year on year, to 1910.2 million MWh. Coal-fired power generation contributed 1577.6 million MWh of the total, up 4.1 per cent year on year, and hydro 222.6 million MWh, up 7.8 per cent over the same period.
The electricity consumption of China's top four largest energy consuming sectors – chemicals, construction materials, steel making and non-ferrous metals smelting – rose a combined 2.9 per cent year on year in May to 135.4 million MWh, and rose 1.4 per cent over January-May to 621.4 million MWh.
Power sector investment totalled Yuan 214.6 billion through January-May, up 1.2 per cent year on year. Grid investment accounted for Yuan 100.3 billion of this figure, up 5.1 per cent year on year, and generation Yuan 114.3 billion, down 2 per cent year on year.
Investment in coal-fired generation totalled Yuan 29.5 billion, down 25.3 per cent year on year; hydroYuan 44.4 billion, up 45.5 per cent; nuclear Yuan 25.4 billion proportiontotalled, down 1.6 per cent; and wind Yuan 14.3 billion, down 24.9 per cent.
China added 18 310 MW of new generation capacity during the January-May period, down 24 per cent year on year. Coal-fired generation comprised 12 280 MW, down 23.6 per cent; hydro 2940 MW, down 25.4 per cent; and wind 2980 MW, down 25.3 per cent.