2nd LD Writethru: China's Q1 power generation up 10 pct

BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- China's power generation rose 10 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2018 to 1.57 trillion kilowatt-hours, the top economic planner said Sunday.

The growth was higher than a 5.9-percent increase for the full year of 2017, according to data from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

"The power generation and its year-on-year growth both stayed at a relatively high level in recent years," the NDRC said.

Electricity from thermal power plants, which account for more than 70 percent of total power generation, rose 8.7 percent year on year, while that from hydropower plants rose 2.7 percent.

Wind, solar, and nuclear power production surged by 37.9 percent, 58.7 percent, and 12.7 percent, respectively.

In the first two months, China's electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, rose 13.3 percent to 1.06 trillion kilowatt-hours, the fastest growth during the past five years.

The NDRC attributed the strong power use growth mainly to recent improvement in some economic indicators, including faster growth in fixed-asset investment and industrial output during the same period.

Power use figures for March and the first quarter are yet to be released. Enditem