Zhao Yuzhu, deputy director of the State Electricity Dispatching and Telecommunication Center under the State Grid Corp of China, has been sleeping at his work desk for two weeks.

Together with his colleagues, Zhao has spent all his waking hours scrambling to allocate power resources, which have been severely limited by the inclement weather, to alleviate shortages in snow-hit regions in the central, eastern and southern parts of the country.

State Grid is the country's largest power transmission company.

The company has diverted much-needed electricity from Hunan to Guizhou, which has seen the collapse of power pylons in some counties.

With 26 provincial regions under its charge, the State Grid sent more than 10,000 workers to repair power systems destroyed by thick snow and ice.

The company said it will "employ all means to ensure power supplies to crucial users such as hospitals".

"Our staff will work around-the-clock to ensure power supply to trunk railways in the country such as the Beijing-Guangzhou railway and the Beijing-Kowloon railway," it said in a statement.

Currently, 14 provincial power grids under the company have suffered shortages.

Another major power grid firm, China Southern Power Grid, has also reinforced its repair operations to relieve shortages. It covers the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou and Hainan, and has sent 11,000 workers to repair its systems.

China Southern has set up 24 diesel-fired power generators in Guizhou, an area under the company that has suffered the worst shortages.

The Guizhou power grid itself ordered 224 diesel-powered generators.

However, the two power majors said many power lines have become very vulnerable due to the bad weather.

Snow is also continuing to disrupt coal transportation, a State Grid official said.

The company said it has just 16.5 million tons of coal stock, the lowest level it has seen.

Coal reserves of 85 of its power plants are below adequate levels, it said.

The company said it expects to repair power systems in Hunan, the worst hit province under its coverage, before the end of next month.

(China Daily January 31, 2008)