Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday said the government would take steps to ensure power supplies to factories. Local and international manufacturers have been struggling to maintain operations due to power rationing in some Chinese provinces. These companies have urged authorities to minimise disruptions caused by the power curbs. China’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index shrank in September for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The National Development and Reform Commission on Wednesday said it had secured supplies of gas and coal for home heating during the winter. However, energy-intensive industries are expected to continue facing power curtailments. Beijing has also ordered domestic coal miners to increase production and allowed them to continue operations even after reaching their annual quotas. The country has also encouraged electricity producers to boost output by allowing them to hike prices by up to 20% from a benchmark, raising it from the previous cap of 10%.
