SUPPLIES of diesel oil in Shenzhen remained stable while a shortage of diesel gripped a growing number of provinces across the country.
Reporters from the Southern Metropolis Daily visited a number of gas stations in Shenzhen on Sunday and found no shortages. Gas stations had not yet introduced restrictions on the amount of diesel drivers could buy, although some privately owned gas stations had canceled promotions and gift incentives, the Daily said.
A private station in Gongming, Guangming New Zone, raised the price of diesel from 6.6 yuan (US$0.99) to 6.61 yuan per liter, matching prices at State-owned Sinopec and CNPC stations.
A worker at a Sinopec gas station on Nigang Road in Luohu District said drivers could fill their tanks without restriction 24 hours a day as the company had abundant stocks. He admitted, however, that queues of vehicles outside the station had grown over the past few days.
The number of customers buying diesel has increased by about one-third compared to normal days. Some private gas stations have stopped supplying diesel at night due to shortages, said the unidentified worker.
Compared with State-owned gas stations, privately run gas stations faced a grimmer situation, the Daily said.
Huade Gas Station in Qingshuihe, Luohu District, said it was finding it difficult to buy diesel oil. We are selling our stocks, said the head of the gas station, who was not identified. If the situation deteriorates, we are afraid that there will be no diesel to sell.
One driver who arrived at the gas station with a huge barrel said he was preparing for a supply shortage. The last time there was a severe shortage of diesel, I lined up outside a gas station for five hours. The mere thought of it sends shivers down my spine.
Forced power outages aimed at meeting China s energy-saving goals have led to unprecedented diesel shortages, as companies buy diesel generators to keep operating, Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday.
China is fast approaching its self-imposed end-2010 deadline to reduce its energy intensity or the amount of energy used to produce each unit of GDP by 20 percent from 2005 levels. After falling behind on efforts to reach that goal, many local governments are now taking drastic measures to catch up.
In a hurry to meet the regional targets assigned by the Central Government, many local governments are choosing to restrict supplies to industry for the remaining two months, Xinhua reported.
Conservation efforts in some areas have actually worked against the main goal of reducing energy use, the news agency reported, quoting industry officials. When power supplies were cut off at some enterprises, the companies simply bought diesel-powered generators to continue operating, exacerbating the diesel shortage, it said.
(SD News)
