The power grid in eastern China's Jiangsu province achieved a milestone as its electricity demand reached a peak of 100.97 GW on May 29, marking the first time in the history that the grid load broke the 100–GW mark in May.
With the arrival of summer, temperatures in Jiangsu have been steadily rising. The combination of high humidity and hot weather has led to a significant increase in electricity consumption from air conditioning, contributing to the milestone load achievement of Jiangsu Power Grid.
"The load exceeded 100 GW for the first time last year on June 17, but this year it arrived 19 days earlier," said Xie Zhenjian, Director of the Planning and Development Research Center at the State Grid Jiangsu Economic and Technological Research Institute.
Apart from the temperature factor, Xie attributed the earlier peak to the continued economic recovery in Jiangsu, the ongoing transformation of the energy structure, and the increased share of electricity consumption.
According to the economic data from the Jiangsu Provincial Bureau of Statistics, the value-added of large-scale industries in the province grew by 8.8% year on year in the first four months of 2023, with the growth rate accelerating by 3.3 percentage points compared to the first quarter.
Correspondingly, the total electricity consumption in Jiangsu increased 5.4% over the same period, with the growth rate accelerating by 3.7 percentage points compared to the first three months.
The Jiangsu Provincial Meteorological Bureau predicted temperatures in July and August 2023 would be higher than usual, with an increased number of hot days. This period may witness temporary heatwaves, further driving up the demand for cooling-related electricity consumption.
Xie predicted that this summer, the peak electricity load in Jiangsu power grid will reach 140 GW, a 6.8% increase compared to last year.
(Writing by Alex Guo Editing by Emma Yang)
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