Electricity companies 'ready' for winter demand, power cuts

AMMAN — Electricity companies are all set to deal with the expected rise in demand in winter and address any possible power cuts with snow forecast this week, energy officials said on Sunday.

Heads of power companies said they have upgraded their infrastructure and increased the number of employees at call centres to deal with client complaints. 

Moreover, spare parts have been made available in abundance and snow-ready vehicles are in place to deal with any severe weather conditions or heavy snowstorms that may lead to power cuts, they added at a meeting with Energy Minister Mohammad Hamed to discuss winter preparations.

"We have directed the power companies to be well-prepared to handle all complaints immediately in case of electricity outages. Transparency in dealing with complaints is very important," Hamed said.

"Power cuts happen across the world and even in advanced countries, but we made sure that everyone is prepared to handle any outages during the cold season," the minister added.

The load on the power grid reached a peak of 2,790 megawatts (MW) last winter and is expected to rise to 3,100MW this season, National Electric Power Company Director General Abdul Fattah Daradkeh said at the meeting.

The grid can currently absorb loads of up to 3,840MW, Daradkeh added, noting that Jordan can take 200-250MW from Egypt in case of necessity and availability.

Reviewing preparations for the cold season, Irbid District Electricity Company General Manager Ahmad Theinat said the firm has cooperated with local authorities to trim trees near power cables to prevent any possible damage.

The company, he added, installed new systems that enable remote detection of power cut locations, which helps shorten the time needed to deal with complaints.

The company — which serves the governorates of Irbid, Jerash, Ajloun, Mafraq and parts of Balqa — also increased the number of its snow-ready vehicles to deal with power cuts caused by accumulated snow, according to Theinat.

Jordanian Electric Power Company
(JEPCO) Director General Marwan Bushnaq said the number of operations rooms and snow-ready vehicles was increased to deal with any complaints in its area of operation, which includes Amman, Zarqa, Salt and Madaba. 

He added that the JEPCO complaints centre can handle 60 phone calls simultaneously.

The Electricity Distribution Company (EDCO), which supplies the southern governorates of Karak, Tafileh, Maan and Aqaba as well as the eastern areas of the Jordan Valley, has taken similar measures. 

EDCO Director General Hassan Thneibat said the company has increased the number of employees available to deal with any possible outages during this week's expected snowfall and the winter season.

He added that the company upgraded its call centres and its fleet of vehicles to be able to deal with all weather conditions and reach remote locations to conduct necessary maintenance.

For his part, Farouq Hiari, chief commissioner of the Energy and Mineral Regulatory Commission, said the commission has opened a centre to monitor the handling of complaints by power companies to ensure efficient performance.

Hiari added that several drills were conducted recently to test the abilities and preparedness of power companies to deal with blackouts in severe weather conditions.