In May 2023, China experienced varying growth rates in its energy production across different sectors, according to the latest report by the National Bureau of Statistics of China. While raw coal and electricity production witnessed a slowdown, crude oil and natural gas production accelerated during the same period.
Raw Coal, Crude Oil, and Natural Gas Production:
The growth rate of raw coal production remained stable, with 390 million tons produced in May, representing a year-on-year increase of 4.2 percent. However, this growth rate was 0.3 percentage points lower than that of the previous month. The average daily output of raw coal reached 12.43 million tons. Additionally, coal imports surged by 92.6 percent year-on-year, totaling 39.58 million tons, which was 19.9 percentage points higher than the previous month.
From January to May, China produced 1.91 billion tons of raw coal, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 4.8 percent. Coal imports for the same period amounted to 180 million tons, marking an 89.6 percent year-on-year increase.
Crude oil production recorded a slight increase, reaching 18.07 million tons in May, a year-on-year growth of 2.7 percent. This growth rate was 1.3 percentage points faster than that of April. The average daily output of crude oil stood at 583,000 tons. Furthermore, crude oil imports grew by 12.3 percent year-on-year, reaching 51.44 million tons, but experienced a decrease of 1.4 percent compared to the previous month.
During the first five months of the year, China produced 87.71 million tons of crude oil, showing a 2.1 percent year-on-year increase. Crude oil imports amounted to 230.21 million tons, representing a 6.2 percent year-on-year increase.
The processing of crude oil demonstrated rapid growth in May, with 62 million tons processed, a 15.4 percent year-on-year increase. However, the growth rate declined by 3.5 percentage points compared to April. The average daily processing volume reached 2.0 million tons. From January to May, China processed 302.63 million tons of crude oil, reflecting a 9.8 percent year-on-year increase.
The production of natural gas increased steadily in May, with 19 billion cubic meters produced, showing a year-on-year growth of 7.2 percent. This growth rate was 0.2 percentage points faster than the previous month. The average daily output of natural gas amounted to 610 million cubic meters. Natural gas imports experienced a significant increase of 17.3 percent year-on-year, totaling 10.64 million tons, which was 5.9 percentage points higher than the previous month.
From January to May, China produced 97.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas, reflecting a 5.3 percent year-on-year increase. The country imported 46.29 million tons of natural gas, marking a 3.3 percent year-on-year increase.
Electric Power Production:
In May, China’s power generation reached 688.6 billion kWh, showing a year-on-year increase of 5.6 percent. However, this growth rate was 0.5 percentage points slower than the previous month. The average daily power generation amounted to 22.21 billion kWh. From January to May, the country’s power generation reached 3.4216 trillion kWh, reflecting a 3.9 percent year-on-year increase.
In terms of power generation by variety, thermal power experienced a significant increase of 15.9 percent year-on-year in May, outpacing the previous month by 4.4 percentage points. Nuclear power also saw growth, with a 6.3 percent year-on-year increase, 0.6 percentage points higher than the previous month. However, hydropower production declined by 32.9 percent year-on-year, 7.0 percentage points higher than the previous month. Wind power grew by 15.3 percent year-on-year, although this growth rate was 5.6 percentage points slower than the previous month. Solar power production showed a slight increase of 0.1 percent, reversing the previous month’s decrease of 3.3 percent.
Overall, China’s energy production in May 2023 exhibited mixed growth rates across different sectors, with raw coal and electricity production slowing down, while crude oil and natural gas production accelerated. These dynamics highlight the country’s ongoing efforts to balance its energy mix and optimize energy production and consumption.
http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202306/t20230620_1940778.html