Millions of Chinese residents have been left without heating in the middle of winter as cities ration electricity amid a blockade on Australian coal
Millions of Chinese residents have been left without heating in the middle of winter as cities ration electricity amid a blockade on Australian coal.
Australia provided 57 per cent of China‘s thermal coal imports in 2019, which is used to generate electricity in power stations.
But last month, Beijing blocked Australian coal imports, which has resulted in 80 ships carrying more than $1.1billion in blacklisted cargo being stranded off the Chinese coast.
Chinese coal prices were 500 yuan ($100) last month but increased 760 yuan ($153) per tonne on Wednesday, which has now resulted in restrictions on power use for millions of residents, according to .
Some 80 Australian ships carrying more than $1.1billion in blacklisted cargo are being stranded on the Chinese Coast, which has caused domestic coal prices to skyrocket in China
Smoke rises from chimneys at a power plant in Lixin County in Bozhou, Anhui Province of China. Australia provided 57 per cent of China’s thermal coal imports in 2019, which is used to generate electricity in power stations
Some 57 million people live in Zhejiang province, south of Shanghai, on China’s east coast, and have been besieged by power shortages resulting in electricity being shut off.
The Zhejiang provincial government has now ordered offices to only use heating when the temperature drops below 3C and restaurant to only use air conditioning for 암사한강아파트 diners, rather than staff, in the city of Wenzhou from December 11 to 20.
Small to medium sized factories have reportedly been ordered to halt production for 암사한강아파트 one to two days after operating for two days between December 13 and 30.
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Meanwhile in Hunan province, which is home to 67 million people, some residents have reportedly been forced to climb 20 flights of stairs after apartment power cut off and shut down the lifts, according to .
A Chinese energy industry source told the newspaper: ‘You cannot pretend that bad relations between China and Australia haven’t contributed to this situation.’
Even in global financial hub Shanghai, which has a population of 24 million, the municipal government has ordered shopping malls and office towers to turn off air condition and non-essential outdoor lighting.
The city’s iconic light and laser show along the Huangpu River will reportedly be shut down indefinitely in the coming days.
China’s President Xi Jinping. Beijing blacklisted Australian coal imports last month as part of an ongoing trade war between the countries
China’s economic planning agency, the National Reform Development Commission, said there is enough coal to last through winter and spring despite increasing prices, according to the Post.
The Ordos Coal Trading Centre blamed skyrocketing coal prices on the ban on Australian imports.
‘Right now, there are more than 80 Australian cargo ships, carrying 8.8 million tonnes of coal,’ the coal trading and service provider said in a research note obtained by the Post.
‘But under the current circumstances, in the short term, they will not be allowing in Australian coal, but rather will depend on [supply] from the domestic market.’
It comes after a Chinese government spokesperson denied knowing Australian coal exports worth $14billion have effectively been banned in the communist nation.
Mr Wang Wenbin (pictured) from China’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday he was ‘not aware’ of any ban on Australian coal
A meeting on Saturday between China‘s major power companies and the nation’s top economic planning agency agreed to lift restrictions on coal imports from all countries except Australia, Chinese media reported.