Energy demand hits yearly high on continued heat wave

Korea has registered its highest electricity demand this year due to an ongoing heat wave, according to industry data released on Sunday. On Friday, the country's peak electricity demand surged to 95.321 gigawatts, as reported by the Korea Power Exchange (KPX). The reserve capacity at that time was 8.2 gigawatts. An emergency power supply alert is triggered if the demand drops below 5.5 gigawatts. The total electricity demand is projected to have surmounted 10.42 gigawatts, between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. that day.

The government anticipates a further rise in electricity demand in the forthcoming week, as the extreme heat persists and industrial output is anticipated to climb after the summer break. The energy ministry has already augmented the energy supply by 2 gigawatts compared to the previous year, reaching a total of 107 gigawatts. Furthermore, an extra 8.8 gigawatts of reserve capacity has been set aside to tackle any unexpected supply gaps.

According to the KPX, the power supply and demand are being managed stably, with no significant disruptions reported in nuclear or solar power generation.