Published by: World Tibet Network News, Monday, October 7, 1996

Text of report by the Chinese news agency Zhongguo Xinwen She

Lhasa, 5th October: The power industry in Tibet has been developing rapidly to meet demand for electricity in the autonomous region. In 1995 annual electricity output reached 520m kilowatt hours [kWh].

During the Eighth Five-Year Plan period (1991-1995), Tibet invested RMB [renminbi] 2.3bn into the power industry, increasing the installed capacity by 40,000 kW. At the end of last year the total installed capacity hit 193,000 kW.

Of the 62 projects in Tibet supported by other provinces, 17 are related to the power industry. The projects will add a further 39,000 kW to Tibet's installed capacity, at a cost of RMB 1.2bn. Over the past five years, the number of counties in the region without any electricity supply has fallen from 21 to 13.

The central and local governments have made considerable efforts to support the technological modernization of Tibet's power industry, concentrating on its basic power supply facilities. The Ministry of Power Industry spent RMB 26m for the modernization of the power grid in Changdu. Shandong Province invested RMB 78m in the technical upgrading of Tanghe Power plant in Xigaze and Guangdong Province funded the construction of Bayi Power Plant in Nyingchi. In addition, Lhasa's new power grid is now operational, made possible by an investment of RMB 42m by the state. [Note: this item does not mention the Yamdrok power projects, previously said to be Tibet's largest]

Source: Zhongguo Xinwen She news agency, Beijing, in English 0507 gmt 5 Oct û