StaffmembersoftheGuizhoubranchoftheChinaSouthernPowerGridusearobottoconductinspectionsatapowersubstationinTongren,southwestChina"sGuizhouProvince,Oct.23,2022.(PhotobyFanCaifu/Xinhua)

BEIJING,May26(Xinhua)--China"spowerconsumption,akeybarometerofeconomicactivity,hasloggedsteadyexpansionsincethebeginningofthisyearamidthecountry"seconomicrebound.

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Electricitydataespeciallyhighlightsthegrowthintheindustrialandservicesectors,asfactoriesoperateatfullcapacityandconsumerdemandfurtherexpands.

TotalpoweruseinChinagrew4.7percentyearonyearto2.81trillionkilowatt-hoursbetweenJanuaryandApril,datafromtheNationalEnergyAdministration(NEA)showed.

Specifically,thecountry"spowerconsumptionrose2.3percentyearlyduringthefirsttwomonths.Thegrowthacceleratedto5.9percentinMarchandrosefurtherto8.3percentinApril,formingasolidtrendofcontinuousrebound.

April"sfigureunderlinedrobustrecoveryinmultiplefieldsoftheindustrialsector.Forexample,electricityuseinautomobilemanufacturingsurged33.8percentyearonyear,whilethatforelectricalmachineryandequipmentmanufacturingjumped28.8percent.

PowerconsumedbyChina"ssecondaryindustryincreasedby5percentintheJanuary-Aprilperiod.Thefigurewentup7.6percentinApril,indicatinganacceleratingrecoveryoftheindustrialandconstructionsectors.

YangKun,vicepresidentoftheChinaElectricityCouncil(CEC),stressedthemonth-by-monthpowerconsumptionincreaseofthesecondarysector,notingthatindustrialpowerconsumptiongrowthoutpacedthecountry"saveragelevel.

"Thecontinuousrecoveryofproductionisanimportantdrivingforceforthesustainedexpansionofindustrialelectricityconsumption,"Yangsaid.

Duringthefirstfourmonths,poweruseinChina"smanufacturingsectorrose4.5percentannuallytoabout1.38trillionkilowatt-hours.TheCECsaidthatconsumptionwentup7.1percentinApril.

Amongvariousfieldsinmanufacturing,high-techandequipmentmanufacturingattractedspecificattentionwithrapidpowerusegrowth,indicatingChina"sprogressinindustrialtransformationandupgrade.

DatafromtheCECshowedthecombinedelectricityuseofChina"shigh-techandequipmentmanufacturingsectorsclimbed6.4percentyearonyearinthefirstfourmonths.InAprilalone,consumptionsoared13.4percent.

"China"sindustrialpowerusehasseensteadyexpansionsincethebeginningofthisyear,andthegrowthratehassignificantlypickedup,"saidZhengHaifeng,aresearcherwiththeStateGridCorporationofChina(StateGrid).Zhengexpectedthegrowthratewillcontinuetoriseinthesecondquarter.

Similartothesecondarysector,China"sservicesectoralsoregisteredconsiderableexpansioninpowerconsumptionthisyear.Statisticsshowedthesector"selectricityusewasup7percentyearonyearto485.2billionkilowatt-hoursintheJanuary-Aprilperiod,andthegrowthhit17.9percentyearlyinApril.

Severalmajorsub-sectors,includingaccommodationandcatering,transport,warehousingandpostalservices,andwholesaleandretailservices,allreportedyear-on-yearpowerconsumptiongrowthofover25percent.

"AdistinctivefeatureofpowerconsumptioninAprilistherapidgrowthofelectricityuseinthetertiaryindustry,"saidLiXinggui,aChinaSouthernPowerGridmanager."Thisshowsthefullrecoveryofthecountry"sserviceindustryandconsumption."

Forexample,poweruseoftheservicesectorinsouthChina"sGuangdongProvinceclimbed9percentyearonyearinthefirstfourmonths,contributing54percentoftheprovince"stotalpowerconsumptiongrowth.

Inthesameperiod,electricityuseoftheservicesectoraccountedformorethanone-thirdofShenzhen"stotalpowerconsumption,datacollectedfromthecompany"sserviceregionsshowed.

Electricitydataalsotrackedtheboominconsumergoodsproduction.Poweruseofconsumergoodsmanufacturerswentup2.5percentyearonyearinthefirstfourmonths,withapace1.2percentagepointsfasterthanthatinthesameperiodlastyear,notedStateGrid"sservicedata.

Tenoutofthe13sectorfieldsrecordedyear-on-yearpowerusegrowth,withthatforpharmaceuticalmanufacturinghitting9.5percent.