WARSAW (Reuters) – Polish electricity demand set a record for a summer morning at 23.82 gigawatts (GW) on Tuesday, the grid operator PSE said adding there is no threat to the system despite the increased use of air conditioning as high temperatures persist.
The previous record for a summer morning (GW) was 22.88 gigawatts on June 28 2017.
“We are carefully watching the system, but there is no threat and as of today the system is balanced,” PSE spokesman said.
Poland, which generates electricity mostly from outdated coal-fueled power stations, faces the risk of power shortages when temperatures reach extreme levels as increased demand overloads the system.
Weather forecasters said some areas of Poland face temperatures of over 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) degrees this week. Also, Poland’s two biggest power plants were closed last month for planned maintenance.
Polish energy ministry said in June the electricity network would be able to handle a heatwave this summer, after a European power network lobby group ENTSO-E warned that prolonged heatwaves may cause problems for Poland’s and Italy’s electricity networks.
Reporting by Agnieszka Barteczko; editing by Louise Heavens
