TABLE-China Nov reservoir volumes flat from year earlier

BEIJING, Nov 2 - Water volumes in China's major reservoirs in early November were flat from a year earlier, ending a one-year streak of consecutive month-on-month gains, data from the Ministry of Water Resources showed on Monday.

The Longyang Gorge reservoir on the Yellow River in north China rose 23.7 percent over levels a year earlier, but gains were offset by declines in the Danjiangkou reservoir on the Han River in central China and others in northeastern and southeastern China.

Water inventories behind the massive Three Gorges dam on the Yangtze River were only marginally higher than a year earlier.

Water stocks determine hydropower output, which helps balance regional power markets, especially in central and southwestern China.

China's hydropower output in the first nine months of this year rose 9.4 percent from a year earlier, while production from thermal power plants, which supply around 80 percent of national output, was flat, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed.

China's National Energy Administration has forecast a balanced power market in the fourth quarter, with some excess supply expected in some regions, as demand growth has not recovered to levels before the start of the global economic downturn.

Water volumes at major hydropower reservoirs in early November (millions of cubic metres): ----------------------------------------------------------------

2009 2009 2008 pct

change

Nov 2 Oct 9 Nov 3 on yr ago ---------------------------------------------------------------- Yangtze River

Three Gorges 35,281 17,843 34,500 2.3 Xinan River

Xinangjiang 13,800 14,700 14,800 -7.2 Yellow River

Longyang Gorge 22,386 18,615 18,100 23.7 Han River

Danjiangkou 12,771 13,867 15,400 -17.1 Songhua River

Fengman 4,937 5,723 6,090 -18.9

Baishan 4,265 4,560 4,510 -5.4 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Total 93,440 75,308 93,400 0