Electric power "roasting" test in the scorching heat

As summer enters in the northern hemisphere, many regions around the world are facing heat waves. Frequent extreme temperatures have overwhelmed the power grids of many countries, causing more serious casualties and property losses, and once again forcing the market to pay attention to energy risks.

a

According to media reports, India has experienced the longest hot weather on record this year. According to statistics from the local meteorological department, the highest temperature in the capital New Delhi has been at 40 degrees Celsius and above for more than 40 consecutive days. The highest temperatures in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other places reach about 50 degrees Celsius.

Data from the Indian Ministry of Health show that from March 1 to June 18, India reported a total of 110 deaths from heat stroke, and more than 40,000 people were suspected of heat stroke. Indian media quoted an official from the Indian Ministry of Health as saying that the actual number of deaths from heat stroke in India is higher than the currently released figures.

Since April, temperatures in more than 30 provinces in Thailand have hit new highs. High temperatures of 44.2 degrees Celsius occurred in some areas, and the extreme heat index once reached the dangerous level of 52 degrees Celsius. Dozens of people have died of heatstroke. This extreme heat exceeding 40 degrees Celsius is also common in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries. The highest temperature records in many Southeast Asian countries have been broken this year.

Saudi Arabia in the Desert of West AsiaArabIn Mecca, the temperature in some areas recently reached 51.8 degrees Celsius. According to relevant statistics and reports from many countries, continuous high temperature weather has caused more than 1000 deaths in about 10 countries during the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. According to reports from the Egyptian Meteorological Administration, daytime temperatures in most parts of Egypt have exceeded 40 degrees Celsius recently. The director of the Forecasting and Early Warning Center of the Egyptian Meteorological Administration said that the recent temperature rise in Egypt has been higher than normal.

Many places in Europe have also experienced hot weather. According to recent reports from local media, eight cities including the Italian capital Rome and Perugia have issued red warnings for high temperatures, and temperatures in some cities will rise to above 40 degrees Celsius. In addition, extreme high temperature weather has also occurred in many countries in the Balkans, with the highest temperatures in many places exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.

The United Nations World Meteorological Organization previously released a report saying that compared with pre-industrial levels, the global average near-surface temperature has increased by 1.3 degrees Celsius. Climate change will lead to more extreme high temperatures, making high-temperature heat waves more common, hotter and longer lasting.

second

The hot weather with persistent "high fever" has overwhelmed the power systems of many countries.

According to Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper, the Egyptian government recently stated that power outages across the country will be extended to June 30, and the daily power outage time will be increased from 2 hours to 3 hours.

The Egyptian government said that although the government had made plans in advance and the Ministry of Oil had ensured additional fuel to meet the surge in energy consumption during the summer, due to the sharp rise in temperatures, power outages had to be extended to ensure the safety and stability of Egypt's natural gas network and power plants. Operation.

Affected by high temperature weather, many countries in the Balkans such as Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Croatia have experienced power supply problems and widespread power outages in recent days.

The State Power Company of Bosnia and Herzegovina stated that the power outage was caused by problems in regional distribution lines; while the State Power Company of Albania made it clear that "extreme high temperatures" caused the widespread power outage.

Due to historical reasons, multinational power grids in the Balkans are connected to each other. Some industry insiders believe that the more likely reason is that electricity demand in various countries has increased at the same time under the influence of high temperatures, coupled with the high temperatures in recent days, resulting in the collapse of the power grid.

South and Southeast Asia are also the "hardest hit areas" of power shortages. According to Indian media reports, electricity demand in the capital Delhi region has recently soared to a record 8647 megawatts, while electricity consumption in northern India peaked at 89000 megawatts. The surge in power demand caused by high temperatures has put tremendous pressure on power supply, and Delhi has already suffered from frequent power outages.

According to media reports, in order to avoid repeating the huge economic losses caused by large-scale power outages last summer, Vietnam is currently implementing a package of power supply guarantees including energy-saving measures, power grid upgrades, regulatory reforms and large-scale increases in coal power.

three

The Indian government recently pointed out in a statement that a record heat wave has pushed India's demand for coal power generation to a record high. India's coal demand has increased by 7.3% since the current fiscal year, setting a new record.

The Indian government said that as of June 16, India's national coal output was 207.48 million tons, an increase of nearly 10% over the same period last year. The Indian government will continue to increase coal production and transportation to ensure power plants have sufficient reserves to cope with surging power demand.

According to data from the Vietnam Power Group, the country's coal use increased significantly in the first five months of this year, with coal power accounting for 59% of power generation, and in some cases even exceeding 70%. This ratio is higher than nearly 45% in the same period last year and 41% higher in 2021.

It is reported that Vietnam's carbon emissions from January to April this year increased by 34% year-on-year. In the past 10 years, as Vietnam's electricity demand has more than doubled, Vietnam's coal-fired electricity generation has also doubled, causing related carbon emissions to triple.

Some commentators believe that in order to cope with the electricity shortage, Vietnam can only rely on coal to provide enough reliable electricity in the short term, and soaring electricity demand makes it increasingly difficult for Vietnam to fulfill its climate change commitments.

In addition to exacerbating carbon emissions, the surge in electricity demand caused by widespread high temperatures has also caused huge fluctuations in the international energy market.

The "Traditional Energy" research company recently stated that high electricity demand in hot weather has increased the use of natural gas and other energy sources, which may cause U.S. natural gas futures prices to soar rapidly in the second half of the year. Citigroup also predicted as early as April that natural gas prices may surge by about 50% to 60% under the influence of extreme weather such as high temperatures, hurricanes, and heavy rains.

The International Energy Agency predicts that natural gas consumption in the Asia-Pacific region will increase by 12% in 2024 compared with 2020. Growing demand in Asia is driving up global gas prices. Some industry insiders pointed out that natural gas prices may continue to rise in August and September, when temperatures are higher.