Heat waves in Asia are expected to hit China this summer, threatening a new wave of power shortages that disrupted global supply chains around the world last year, from cars to solar panels.
This summer, the power supply situation across the country will be tense, state-run China Energy News reported, citing the State Power System Research Institute. The central, eastern and southwestern provinces (the most populous) are likely to experience shortages during periods of peak demand, according to the institute. The situation is described by the analytical agency Bloomberg.
A heatwave is already scorching parts of Asia before the official start of summer, raising temperatures to record highs of 45 degrees in Vietnam. All public institutions are closed due to the inability to provide air conditioning. India has already received a warning of a power outage in the near future due to the impending cataclysm. According to scientists from research groups such as World Weather Attribution, climate change is exacerbating the frequency of extreme weather events.
The deplorable situation in Vietnam is a lesson for China, which is preparing as best it can for blackouts and dry summers when rivers dry up. Wind farms are being built, huge clusters of solar panels are being installed. But even this will not be enough, scientists warn. Therefore, permission was given for increased use of coal for generation.
Additional electrical capacities will also be required to organize the pumping of water into the main pipelines in order to provide at least some irrigation of agricultural land in order to save the crop. All other Beijing climate targets are receding in the face of danger to people and economics. Of course, the PRC will not abandon its ambitious plans, but their implementation will be postponed indefinitely.
Given such unfavorable forecasts, Beijing will most likely become Europe's most stubborn and serious competitor for gas and other energy resources, receiving them from all world suppliers at once. The forecast heat wave in Asia will be a major headache in the EU in the coming months. It is likely that China will even stop hiding its energy needs and demand in the coming weeks as it tries to keep prices from rising. Now all these "games" will fade into the background, and quotes of all types of fuel will shoot up.