22 March 2007 - China's capacity to generate electricity is expected to grow by 10.5 per cent a year until the end of the decade, according to the State Electric Grid Corporation.

The growth rate will be adjusted downward to 6.7 per cent for the 2011-2015 period and further down to 4.17 per cent for the 2016- 2020 period, said a report on the longer-term development strategy for the country's power industry.

According to the report, by the end of 2010, China will need 3.81 trillion kWh of electricity, with its total installed capacity expected to reach 852 GW. Between 2011-2020, China will add about 520 GW to its total installed capacity, which will amount to 1.33 TW, says the report.

The report predicts that China's electricity consumption will outdo the country's total consumption of all types of energy in terms of growth rate. The electricity consumption will grow at an average annual rate of nine per cent from 2006 to 2010, a bit higher than the forecast GDP growth for the five-year period.

The report says China's demand for electricity will grow 5.8 per cent in the 2011-2015 period and 3.9 per cent in the 2016-2020 period.

Demand and supply largely balanced in 2006, when more than 100 GW was added to the country's total installed capacity.

The report forecasts new electricity generating units with a combined installed capacity of more than 75 GW will come onstream in 2007. China will focus on construction of hydro and nuclear power stations and develop new energy sources to gradually reduce the share of coal and gas-fuelled generating units in the total installed capacity.