China invests almost $4B in power projects to date

Of the newly commissioned power, the new hydropower capacity was 642 megawatts (MW), which was 271.3 MW or 29.7% less compared with the same period of the previous year. Newly commissioned thermal power capacity was 5,183.5 MW, which was 738 MW or 12.46% less year over year. Newly commissioned wind power capacity reached 164.3 MW, a drop of 171.4 MW or 51.1% compared with the same period of the previous year.

From January to February 2009, the total installed capacity of power plants with capacities of 6 MW or greater reached 760.7 GW, an increase of 10.9% year over year. Within this category, the installed capacity of hydropower reached 143.8 GW, an increase of 22.1%; thermal power reached 598 GW, an increase of 8.7%, and nuclear power reached 8.9 GW, which was the same as the previous year.

From January to February 2009, the total investment in grid construction reached $4.3 billion; the capacity of newly commissioned transformer substations at 220 kilovolts or above reached 12.85 gigavolt-amperes (GVA), which was 0.83 GVA or 6.09% less compared with the same period of the previous year. The total length of newly commissioned transmission lines at 220 kilovolts or above reached 1,172 kilometers, a slight increase of 62 kilometers or 5.59% compared with the same period of the previous year.