Huaihua, Hunan (Platts)--27Nov2012/426 am EST/926 GMT

China's January-October electricity export tumbled 7.8% year on year to 15.5 billion kWh while its import rose 4.8% to 5.19 billion kWh, the State Electricity Regulatory Commission said Monday.

It did not give separate figures for electricity import and export in October.

During the 10-month period, China's hydropower output jumped 27.1% year on year to 648.9 billion kWh, SERC said in a separate statement Monday. Its October hydropower output rose 52.9% year on year to 74.1 billion kWh.

An analyst with Beijing-based Dexin Yongming Consultation said the sizable increase in hydropower output and a drop in electricity export may explain why demand for thermal coal for power generation was not very strong in October.

China in October generated 92.7 billion kWh of electricity converted from clean energy sources -- including hydropower, nuclear power and wind power -- up 48.4% year on year, SERC said. Over January-October, China generated a total 810.2 billion kWh of electricity converted from clean energy sources, up 26% year on year.

China exports electricity mainly to Vietnam, Myanmar and North Korea while it imports electricity from Russia and Kazakhstan.

--Reggie Le, newsdesk@platts.com --Edited by Geetha Narayanasamy, geetha_narayanasamy@platts.com