China power consumption growth rate slows in April, but strong demand in western regions

China's power consumption rose 11.2 percent year on year in April to 376.8 billion kilowatt hours (kwh), but the growth rate was 2.21 percentage points lower than March, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said Saturday.

Demand was still strong, especially in western China, last month despite the slowdown in consumption from March, said Xue Jing, director of the Statistical Department of China Electricity Council (CEC).

The nation consumed 388.8 billion kwh of electricity in March.

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region reported 34.8 percent hike in power consumption in April year on year, the largest increase in the country. The figure was 22.3 percent in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, 18.1 percent in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and 17.5 percent in Gansu Province.

In contrast, eastern China's Zhejiang Province reported a 7.3 percent increase in power consumption in April from a year earlier while neighboring Jiangsu Province consumed 11.3 percent more power year on year.

Combined electricity use in the first four months totaled 1.47 trillion kwh, up 12.4 percent from a year earlier.

In the first four months, the primary sector consumed 27.9 billion kwh of electricity, up 3.2 percent year on year; the secondary sector consumed 1.09 trillion kwh, up 12.1 percent; and the tertiary sector consumed 161.5 billion kwh, up 15 percent.

Power consumption in residents' daily life topped 188.6 billion kwh in April, up 13.2 percent year on year.