BEIJING, May 3 (Reuters) - Water inventories in China's major reservoirs in early May declined for the first time in 13 months, data from the Water Resources Ministry showed, increasing concern that electricity supplies could further tighten in hydropower-heavy regions.
Power use restrictions have been instituted in some central, southwestern and eastern provinces, in part because of limited hydropower generation. [ID:nL3E7FI1ED][ID:nL3E7FK0DQ]
Water volumes in six large reservoirs, which accounted for nearly half of stocks in over 700 reservoirs nationwide tracked by the ministry, decreased 11.6 percent from a year earlier and fell 9.4 percent from the month before, the data showed.
Stocks in the massive Three Gorges reservoir declined quickly from a month ago as outflows surpassed inflows to meet downstream shipping and irrigation demand.
Hydropower output in March rose 28.8 percent from a year earlier and output in the first quarter increased 32.9 percent on year, government data showed.
Water volumes in major hydropower reservoirs in early May (millions of cubic metres):
2011 2011 2010 Pct
change
May 3 April 1 May 6 on yr ago Yangtze River Three Gorges 23,686 28,044 24,189 -2.1 Xinan River Xinanjiang 12,500 12,600 14,100 -11.3 Yellow River Longyang Gorge 14,816 15,977 18,458 -19.7 Han River Danjiangkou 5,771 7,410 9,400 -38.6 Songhua River Fengman 5,957 5,797 5,068 17.5 Baishan 4,400 4,262 4,740 -7.2 ______________________________________________________________ Total* 67,130 74,090 75,955 -11.6 * Inventories in the reservoirs accounted for nearly half of stocks in over 700 reservoirs tracked by the ministry. (Reported by Jim Bai and Tom Miles; Editing by Chris Lewis)
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