Experts estimate that the maximum power load in Beijing will reach about 12.2 million kilowatts this summer, resulting in a 500,000 kw power shortage.

But the power shortage will be a bit lower than that of the past few years, said Beijing Electric Power Corporation spokesman Wang Changping on Wednesday.

However, Wang, also deputy chief engineer of the corporation, pointed out the power supply in some specific areas like Zhichunli, Caoqiao, Taiyanggong and Huilongguan will face great challenges due to the poor power supply equipment and the soaring power demands in these areas.

In order to ease the power supply bottleneck, the Beijing Electric Power Corporation has launched nearly 1,000 projects since July, 2005, to renovate or build the power transformation and transmission equipment.

Wang said more than eight billion yuan (about US$1 billion) of investment has increased Beijing power grid's transformation capacity by 4.46 million kilovolt-amperes.

The corporation has also made emergency plans, said the engineer, so that a large scale power cut will not happen once the power supply system is overloaded.

Influenced by the high temperature, the power load gradually increases in Beijing.

According to the statistics of the corporation, the maximum power load in the capital city reached 9.94 million kilowatts on Tuesday amidst the high temperature of 36 degrees centigrade.

(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2006)