In recent days, the country has witnessed a surge in electricity consumption due to the scorching heat. On April 26, the highest capacity demand was reached at 47,670 MW, breaking a new record. Despite this increase in demand, only the North saw a slight increase in capacity compared to last year, with an increase of just 19.9%.
The Electricity Regulatory Authority announced that average daily consumption reached nearly 947 million kWh on April 26, up from 853 million kWh the previous week. The North experienced the largest jump in consumption, with an increase of more than 31.7 million kWh per day. This was largely due to the ongoing heat wave in the region.
In response to the surge in demand, the regulatory agency mobilized coal-fired thermal power units and used both gas heat sources and renewable energy sources for electricity supply. Despite shortages of coal and incidents during the week, no production units stopped working due to coal shortages.
Looking ahead to the coming days, there is hope that rain and thunder will bring relief from the heat wave. However, it is important for regulators to closely monitor peak capacity and electricity demand to ensure that supply remains guaranteed in all three regions. Plans are also being considered to use oil sources if necessary and support testing of new power plants if required.
From January until now, electricity consumption has increased by about 11.2%, with last week’s production reaching around 175 million kWh on average per day.
Overall, while there have been challenges related to meeting increased electricity demand during this hot weather period, regulators have effectively managed hydroelectric reservoirs and ensured that supply remained guaranteed throughout the week.
In conclusion, despite some difficulties faced by regulators due to shortages of coal and other resources during this hot weather period, they were able to maintain a stable power grid through effective management of hydroelectric reservoirs and mobilization of other resources as needed. As we look forward towards future events such as rainy days or heat waves similar or even worse than this one