Electricity Consumption Rebounds as Printing and Other Manufacturing Sectors in Some Regions Show Signs of Recovery

Our reporter recently learned from the National Development and Reform Commission

Digital Printing Branch

, that as electricity consumption returned to positive growth, the economy in some parts of China is showing momentum of recovery.

A report on Beijing's electricity consumption situation in the first quarter of 2009 released by the NDRC on the 15th shows that although the scope is limited

, manufacturing production has partially recovered. The also-released Report on Electricity Operation in Jiangxi Province from January－March 2009 shows that industrial electricity consumption in the first quarter was 8.37 billion kWh, flat year on year

, with manufacturing and mining showing clear year-on-year growth. In addition, the NDRC website shows that industrial electricity consumption in Anhui Province has begun to grow

Shanghai Printing Recruitment

, up 8.09% year on year, with the economy showing momentum of recovery.

Data released in the report show that Beijing's total electricity consumption returned to positive growth in the first quarter

, with total electricity consumption of 18.02 billion kWh, up 1.5% year on year; electricity use in the secondary industry showed signs of recovery, with growth picking up 0.6 percentage points from the fourth quarter of last year; in March, manufacturing electricity consumption fell 4.2% year on year

, rebounding 10.8 percentage points from January-February, with electricity consumption growth in the non-metallic mineral products, rubber and plastics products, and paper and paper products industries bouncing back relatively quickly.

In Jiangxi's case, mining electricity consumption was 960 million kWh

, up 6.9% year on year; manufacturing electricity consumption was 5.66 billion kWh, up 1.6%. Within manufacturing, ferrous metal smelting and rolling processing consumed 1.52 billion kWh, up 3.1%; non-ferrous metal smelting and rolling processing consumed 420 million kWh

, down 5.7%, while cement manufacturing consumed 750 million kWh, down 5.8%.

However, the recovery in Beijing's electricity consumption is concentrated in areas tied to fixed-asset investment, represented by the cement industry

, which is broadly in line with the national pattern of electricity recovery. At the same time, manufacturing aimed at the local market — mainly the paper industry, the printing and publishing industry and the waste resource recycling and processing industry — has also maintained high growth, because these industries depend relatively little on the national economic situation

, and the NDRC believes they should be the focus of support within manufacturing.

Meanwhile, the growth rate of electricity consumption in Beijing's real estate industry has slipped quarter on quarter. Electricity consumption in real estate grew 9% in the first quarter, down 3.1 percentage points from the fourth quarter of last year. The NDRC's analysis suggests

, that the reason may be a decline in newly delivered housing projects on the one hand and a sluggish rental and sales market on the other, with both factors driving the drop in electricity use.

, that in the first quarter, electricity consumption in Beijing's logistics-related industries remained on a downward trend, with electricity consumption growth for electrified railways, warehousing, and postal and telecommunications services falling 18.9%, 5.4% and 14.2% respectively

, broadly continuing the downward trend seen since the second half of 2008; overall goods movement remains weak, and the effect of the policies to boost domestic demand has yet to be observed further.

——This article is reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn), original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-362312.html