Unexpected cuts, closed factories, cities in the dark: China is reducing its electricity consumption – Franceinfo

Power cuts are the hot topic in China. Chinese television reported the story of a family stuck in an elevator for 45 minutes, with two children aged 1 and 4. There are also cities plunged into darkness, chaos on the roads or traffic lights that no longer work. In Shenyang, in the northeast of the country, electricity was cut off again all day, Wednesday, September 29.

Traders must therefore equip themselves with generators. These power cuts have taken on an unprecedented scale, desired by the authorities in 20 out of 32 Chinese provinces.

How to explain them? First, the world’s workshop is running at full speed and consuming too much energy. And in China, the main energy comes from coal. However, today there is a shortage and prices are soaring. Since the start of the year, 71% of electricity has been produced by coal-fired power stations, which are very polluting. The Chinese president wants to reduce this rate to 56% by 2021. To achieve this, some provinces are taking radical measures to reduce consumption.