tirsdag 28. september 2021

Apple, Intel, and Nvidia Suppliers Halt Production in China Due to Mandated Power Shutdowns

China is the world's largest consumer of energy, as well as the largest emitter of carbon dioxide. In a purported bid to limit energy carrier price surges and reduce its emissions, the Chinese government has temporarily shut down power to several major manufacturing hubs. The country also intends to temporarily suspend industrial electricity supply on a scheduled basis going forward. Such crackdowns will inevitably affect the global electronics supply chain as well as companies like Apple, Intel, Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Tesla. But some companies will be more severely affected than others.

Last week, China's President Xi Jinping said at the UN General Assembly that the country would not build a single new coal-fueled power plant going forward, would increase reliance on other energy sources, and would be carbon neutral by 2060. But as of 2019, around 64%-65% of the electricity in China came from coal, and prices of that industrial-era energy source are surging these days.