China's commercial hub of Shanghai hoisted its "black signal" hot weather warning for the second time this week after temperatures reached their highest levels again this year, prompting the government to cancel some outdoor activities.
The temperature in Shanghai reached 38?C on Saturday, the Shanghai government said on its Web site. The government hoisted its "black signal" for the first time this year on last Friday. Temperatures in the city yesterday averaged 37?C, the government said.
"Temperatures are likely to remain high even though some rains are forecast in the next two to three days," the government said.
PHOTO: EPA
China, the world's second-biggest energy market, will face a power shortfall of as much as 30 million kilowatts in the third quarter of this year, according to the China Electricity Council, as economic growth that's running at more than 9 percent spurs demand.
Shanghai's electricity demand on Friday rose to 15 million kilowatts, the highest this year, as offices and homes turned up their air-conditioners to beat the heat, the government said. To reduce strain on Shanghai's power grid, the city's government ordered a batch of 200 companies to shift working hours to the evening, joining 2,000 others that are already doing so, the South China Morning Post said yesterday.
Sony Corp, the world's second-biggest consumer electronics maker, said Friday it will stop work at one of its two Shanghai plants next week to help the city save power.
Volkswagen AG's Shanghai venture said it has halted production for several days at a time since mid-July because of the power shortage. General Motors Corp said Tuesday its Shanghai venture shut down for 11 days for annual maintenance.
Meanwhile, the energy-hungry nation may face a shortage of 250 million tonnes of crude oil by 2020 as local production may meet only 44 percent of demand, China Oil News said, citing a Xinhua news agency report.
China's consumption of crude oil may reach 450 million tonnes by 2020, with local output at 200 million tonnes, the report said, citing Chen Geng (
China's oil companies face challenges including lack of domestic crude oil stockpiles, increasing difficulties in finding new sources of oil and the lack of new technology to boost output at its refineries, the report said. China's refineries are now operating at 90 percent of their capacities to meet the country's demand for fuels, Chen was cited as saying.
China, the world's biggest oil consumer after the US, may consume about 6.29 million barrels a day this year, an increase of 15 percent, the International Energy Agency said. The country imported 57 percent more oil products in the first half of the year, while rising prices saw the bill climb 66 percent to US$4.5 billion, according to customs figures.
Among other products, ethylene demand in China may double to 23 million tonnes by 2020, Chen was cited as saying. China would need to import 40 percent of its ethylene to meet demand by then, the report said.
China's natural gas output is expected to rise to 120 billion cubic meters by 2020, from 34 billion cubic meters, the report said. Gas demand may rise to 200 billion cubic meters from 30 billion cubic meters, it said.
Energy conservation could help resolve part of China's energy shortages, Chen was cited as saying.
Taiwan Transport and Storage Corp (TTS, 台灣通運倉儲) yesterday unveiled its first electric tractor unit — manufactured by Volvo Trucks — in a ceremony in Taipei, and said the unit would soon be used to transport cement produced by Taiwan Cement Corp (TCC, 台灣水泥). Both TTS and TCC belong to TCC International Holdings Ltd (台泥國際集團). With the electric tractor unit, the Taipei-based cement firm would become the first in Taiwan to use electric vehicles to transport construction materials. TTS chairman Koo Kung-yi (辜公怡), Volvo Trucks vice president of sales and marketing Johan Selven, TCC president Roman Cheng (程耀輝) and Taikoo Motors Group
Among the rows of vibrators, rubber torsos and leather harnesses at a Chinese sex toys exhibition in Shanghai this weekend, the beginnings of an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven shift in the industry quietly pulsed. China manufactures about 70 percent of the world’s sex toys, most of it the “hardware” on display at the fair — whether that be technicolor tentacled dildos or hyper-realistic personalized silicone dolls. Yet smart toys have been rising in popularity for some time. Many major European and US brands already offer tech-enhanced products that can enable long-distance love, monitor well-being and even bring people one step closer to
RECORD-BREAKING: TSMC’s net profit last quarter beat market expectations by expanding 8.9% and it was the best first-quarter profit in the chipmaker’s history Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), which counts Nvidia Corp as a key customer, yesterday said that artificial intelligence (AI) server chip revenue is set to more than double this year from last year amid rising demand. The chipmaker expects the growth momentum to continue in the next five years with an annual compound growth rate of 50 percent, TSMC chief executive officer C.C. Wei (魏哲家) told investors yesterday. By 2028, AI chips’ contribution to revenue would climb to about 20 percent from a percentage in the low teens, Wei said. “Almost all the AI innovators are working with TSMC to address the
Malaysia’s leader yesterday announced plans to build a massive semiconductor design park, aiming to boost the Southeast Asian nation’s role in the global chip industry. A prominent player in the semiconductor industry for decades, Malaysia accounts for an estimated 13 percent of global back-end manufacturing, according to German tech giant Bosch. Now it wants to go beyond production and emerge as a chip design powerhouse too, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. “I am pleased to announce the largest IC (integrated circuit) Design Park in Southeast Asia, that will house world-class anchor tenants and collaborate with global companies such as Arm [Holdings PLC],”