China is preparing for a record-breaking winter in terms of power and gas consumption.

An official of the National Development and Reform Commission said that the peak demand for electricity in China and the peak gas consumption will both be at their highest levels ever recorded this winter.

The winter and summer are the peak seasons for electricity demand due to heating and cooling.

Shanghai's grid experienced record demand this summer as temperatures spiked.

The NDRC official said at a press conference that the upcoming heating season will last longer than normal, more than two full months.

This suggests that China's power stations may consume more coal than they did in the past, when a mild winter resulted in a weak demand and an oversupply.

NDRC stated that the country has enough energy to last 35 days. Its power plants stockpile 230 million tonnes of coal, which is enough for their needs.

According to NDRC, regulators have improved China's capability to meet electricity demand spikes through an increase in the amount of power transmitted across regions. Reporting by Colleen Waye in Beijing Editing and proofreading by Tomaszjanowski

(source: Reuters)