Data released recently by the Shenzhen power supply bureau of China Southern Power Grid show that the city’s electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, amounted to 112.86 billion kilowatt-hours last year, an increase of 5.1% year on year, as the city’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic gained momentum.

The data show that the secondary industry, which takes raw materials as input and creates finished products as output, the tertiary industry, which produces services, and residential electricity consumption all registered an increase in electricity consumption.

The proportions of electricity consumption for the secondary industry, the tertiary industry and residential use were 46.9%, 36.8% and 16.2% respectively, with increases of 1%, 10.9% and 5% year on year.

The fact that the tertiary industry posted the strongest growth in electricity consumption compared with a year earlier indicated that Shenzhen’s services sector had staged strong post-COVID-19 recovery over the past year, according to industry analysts.

Electricity consumed by Shenzhen’s young but fast-growing automotive manufacturing sector expanded 24.7% compared with a year ago, significantly driving the electricity consumption in the manufacturing industry.

The new energy vehicle industry has emerged as one of the mainstay industrial sectors to drive Shenzhen’s economic growth as the city has strived to build itself into a global clean car production hub.

Official figures show that the added value of the auto industry increased 89.7% in the first half of last year. The production of new energy vehicles, which include pure electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles, and charging piles increased 170.2% and 32.6%, respectively.

Meanwhile, electricity consumption in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector increased 6.2% year on year and the photovoltaic equipment and component manufacturing sector also saw an 18.7% increase. Power use in the computer manufacturing sector increased 4.3% from a year earlier. All these show a continued recovery in industrial production, industry analysts said.

In the tertiary industry, power use of sectors closely related to human traffic such as consumption, leasing and business services sectors increased 24.5% year on year, while that of the wholesale and retail sector rose 17.2% compared with a year ago.

Transportation, storage and postal services used 7.7% more power from a year earlier, and the accommodation and catering sector posted a 7.4% increase in electricity consumption, showing that the consumer market is thriving.

Additionally, from February 2023 to the present, nighttime electricity consumption in Shenzhen (from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day) has increased 7.6% year on year, the data show.

The increase in power use reflected the overall improvement, resilience and vitality of Shenzhen’s economy, according to industry analysts.