China power firms face 250-300 mln T coal shortages

BEIJING, April 8 (Reuters) - China's coal supply for power generation is estimated to be 250-300 million tonnes below demand this year, a study by a senior government official showed, which may herald more power shortages in the coming seasons.

China experienced the worst power outage in four years in the past months due to coal shortages that in some degree were caused by a clampdown on small and unsafe coal mines.

Zou Yiqiao, director general of the Department of Tariffs and Financial Regulation, under the State Electricity Regulatory Commission, estimated that coal demand for power generation will surpass 1.4 billion tonnes this year and any supply volumes below that could lead to power shortages.

In 2007, a total of 1.282 billion tonnes of coal was used for power production, accounting for 51 percent of China's raw coal output of 2.523 billion tonnes last year, according to Zou.

Meanwhile, power plants that were initially reluctant to store the fuel due to soaring costs later found they were unable to secure supplies after freak winter weather disrupted transport.

The estimated deficit in coal supply for power generation was based on analysis of current production and stocks, said Zou in a study published on the commission's Web site (www.serc.gov.cn).

He did not elaborate on the current stocks and production levels.

"The coal supply and demand situation nationwide would be even grimmer given demand elsewhere from sectors including petrochemical, steel, coal deep-processing and exports," he concluded.

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