‘Annual electricity usage did not increase for first time in country’s history’

AMMAN — The national grid did not record an increase in daytime electricity load “for the first time in the country’s history”, compared to an annual estimated increase of 5 to 6 per cent, according to the Production Planning Director of the National Electric Power Company, Amin Zaghal.

Citing the use of renewable energy as the main reason for the stable rate, Zaghal told the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that several renewable energy projects — including mosques, schools, factories, hospitals and shopping centres — have contributed to limiting the annual growth rates of daytime electricity loads, while nighttime loads registered a growth rate of 4 per cent, 

The average annual growth rate for electricity loads in the Kingdom stand between 5 and 6 per cent, Petra reported.

Speaking on Monday, Zaghal said that during this year’s Ramadan, the highest load was recorded last Thursday at 2,580 megwatt (MW), due to the heat wave which saw temperatures reach around 36ºC, noting that the nighttime load for Sunday also reached a high of 2,510MW. 

The electricity system tends to record a decrease in loads during Ramadan because of shortened working hours, Petra reported, adding that the electricity generation capacity in the Kingdom amounts to around 4,000MW, including the energy generated from renewable energy projects.  

On February 1 this year, the highest electricity load at night stood at 3,220MW and the maximum daytime load reached 3,020MW.

In other months, the maximum load usually does not exceed 2,700MW, except for July and August, when air conditioning units are used extensively, Petra reported.