Wedoany.com Report-Mar 17, China's mostly coal-powered thermal generation fell 5.8% in January and February, statistics bureau data showed on Monday.

An electricity pylon and powers lines are seen against a backdrop of wind turbines in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, China July 15, 2021.

Thermal power generation was 1.02 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in the first two months of the year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

China's thermal power is mostly fuelled by coal with natural gas-fired power plants contributing a small portion.

Hydropower, China's second-largest power source, rose 4.5% to 146.1 billion kWh.

China publishes data for January and February in a combined release to smooth out the effects of the Lunar New Year, which can fall in either month.

Last year, China's thermal power generation rose 1.5% for 2024 as a whole, exceeding analyst forecasts on higher-than-expected power demand, although that was the slowest growth rate in nine years outside of the COVID-19 pandemic.

China's coal consumption in 2024 rose in line with the increase in thermal power generation, up 1.7% on the year according to an industry association. Most of China's coal is consumed in the power sector although coal is also used in industrial applications and for heating.