China"seconomicrecoveryisexpectedtodriveupelectricityconsumptionwithanestimatedgrowthof6percentthisyearamidtheoptimizationofCOVID-19controlmeasures,accordingtorecentforecastsfromtheChinaElectricityCouncil.

Powerconsumptiondatacanreflectsituationsofenterprises"productionandeconomicoperation,andthusbecomeakeybarometerofeconomicactivity,expertssaid.

"Macroeconomicsandclimateareimportantaspectsthatinfluencethegrowthofelectricityconsumption.In2023,Chinaisexpectedtoseeitseconomyrebound,drivingthegrowthrateofelectricityconsumptionhigherthanthatin2022.Undernormalweatherconditions,itisestimatedthatthecountry"selectricityconsumptionwillbe9.15trillionkilowatt-hours,anincreaseofabout6percentcomparedwith2022,"saidCECSecretary-GeneralHaoYingjie.

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AccordingtoJiangDebin,deputydirectorofstatisticsanddataatCEC,electricityconsumptionintheprimaryindustryisexpectedtomaintainrapidgrowthmomentumthisyear,andthegrowthrateofelectricityconsumptioninthesecondaryindustrywillgraduallypickup.

Jiangsaidthatundertheinfluenceoffavorablepolicies,thegradualrecoveryoftherealestatemarketwillpromotetherecoveryofelectricityconsumptioninindustriessuchassteelandbuildingmaterials.

Inaddition,buoyedbytheproductionofandinvestmentinhigh-techmanufacturingandhigh-techserviceindustries,electricityconsumptioninrelatedindustrieswillcontinuetogrowrapidly,Jiangsaid.

"TheoptimizationofCOVID-19pandemicpreventionandcontrolmeasureswillalsocreatefavorableconditionsfortherecoveryofsectorsincludingservicesandofflineconsumptionthisyear.Electricityconsumptioninsectorssuchasaccommodations,catering,transportationandtourismwillbecomeanimportantdrivingforcefortherecoveryofelectricityconsumptionintertiaryindustriesthisyear,"Jiangsaid.

Aspowerconsumptionislikelytoincreasethisyear,theCECproposedaseriesofmeasurestoensureenergysupply,whichincludeincreasingtheabilitytosupplycoal,reducingthecostofcoal-firedpowergeneration,andacceleratingplanning,investmentandconstructionofpowergrids.

TheCEC"spredictionsfollowedapowerconsumptiongrowthlastyear.In2022,thehigh-techandequipmentmanufacturingindustry"selectricityconsumptionincreasedby2.8percentyear-on-year,whichwas1.9percentagepointshigherthantheaveragelevelofthemanufacturingindustryinthesameperiod,accordingtotheCEC.

Amongthem,electricityconsumptionintheareasofelectricalmachineryandequipmentmanufacturing,pharmaceuticalandelectronicequipmentmanufacturingincreasedbymorethan5percent.Electricityconsumptioninthenewenergyvehiclemanufacturingsectorincreasedby71.1percent,itsaid.

AccordingtoJiang,electricityconsumptioninthephotovoltaicequipmentandcomponentmanufacturingsectorhasincreasedbymorethan70percentyear-on-year.Electricityconsumptionintheareasofmedicalequipmentmanufacturing,aviationandaerospacehasalsoachieveddouble-digitgrowth.Electricityconsumptioninpowerchargingandbattery-swappingservicesectorhascontinuedtogrowrapidlyinrecentyearswiththegrowthratein2022at38.1percent.