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Amid the tight supply of thermal coal, the operations of domestic cogeneration companies have also suffered severe impacts. At the meeting held yesterday on the current situation and future prospects of thermal power enterprises, the managers of these companies complained that due to tight supplies and rising prices of coal for electricity generation, their firms were operating at a loss. In regions such as Zhejiang and Jiangsu, industries related to textiles, silk, and printing and dyeing have developed quite rapidly, resulting in a high demand for industrial heat. Coupled with the concentration of local enterprises, this creates a favorable environment for the development of cogeneration companies. However, with the rise in coal prices this year, local thermal power companies have faced significant pressure in their operations. Yu Xiangmin, president of the Zhejiang Thermal Power Association, said that the price of coal used for thermal power generation in the region has risen by 200 yuan over the past two months, reaching 825 yuan per ton. Moreover, due to the current weather conditions, coal prices are expected to continue rising. According to Jiang Zhangshui, general manager of Zhejiang Tianma Thermal Power Company, out of the 14 thermal power enterprises in Shaoxing, 8 are operating at a loss, 3 have been shut down, and only 3 are still able to make profits, though their prospects remain uncertain. Jiang Zhangshui said helplessly that Tianma Thermal Power is located in one of the largest industrial development zones in the area, and its main function is to meet the electricity and steam needs of small and medium-sized enterprises in that zone. It is currently the most profitable thermal power company in the region. However, due to the high prices of coal, shortages in transportation capacity, and lower tariffs for electricity supplied to the grid, the company no longer has any room for profit. If there are no significant changes in the near future, Tianma Thermal Power will have no choice but to shut down. Zhu Fengying, vice president of Shandong Yantai Hengtong Thermal Power Company, also said that the prospects for thermal power companies in Shandong are not optimistic at present. As of the statistics taken on October 30 last year, 50% of such companies were already operating at a loss. The high prices of coal since November last year have exacerbated these losses, but local thermal power companies are forced to continue operating at a loss in order to ensure a supply of heat for residents, schools, and hospitals. Wang Zhenming, an advisor to the Thermal Power Committee of the Chinese Society for Electrical Engineering, further stated that rising coal prices without a corresponding increase in thermal power prices have made it even more difficult for thermal power companies that are already struggling to operate. In some provinces, half of the thermal power plants are operating at a loss, while in other provinces these companies suffer total losses; some plants have even stopped operating due to the inability to continue functioning. Sources reveal that Qinhuangdao Port, which serves as the main transportation port for coal supply in southern China, will start from next week focusing on supplying coal to large power generation companies, which will undoubtedly deal another severe blow to cogeneration plants in the south. Related links: 40.99 million kilowatts of capacity shut down across the country due to coal shortages. According to the latest statistics provided by the power sector, the number of generator sets that have had to be shut down nationwide due to a shortage of thermal coal has now reached 40.99 million kilowatts, a figure that exceeds the 39.9 million kilowatts reported earlier. Data from the National Electricity Regulatory Commission show that as of January 25, national coal reserves for power generation amounted to about 21.42 million tons, less than half of the normal level. There are 89 power plants with coal reserves lasting less than three days, accounting for a generating capacity of 77.95 million kilowatts, which represents more than 1/10 of the country’s total installed capacity.