Combined coal stocks held by China's six key power generators in southern and eastern China averaged 11.155 million mt in the week to Tuesday, down 2.9% week on week, according to a weekly report by Qinhuangdao Port on Thursday.
The stocks are able to cover an average of 19.99 days of consumption at the six power generators, down by 0.53 days on the week, the report said.
Average coal consumption at the six power generators stood at 559,000 mt/day in the week to Tuesday, down 0.2% week on week.
As rainfall is expected to increase in May and June, sparking a rise in hydro-power output in southern and eastern China, thermal coal demand from coal-fired power plants looks set to fall.
"Increased hydro-power output may pile downward pressure on local thermal coal demand, until hot weather begins to boost electricity consumption from late June onward," a Guangdong-based coal trader said.
