AMMAN - The load on the Kingdom's power grid on Sunday reached 2,660 megawatts (MW) of the total generating capacity in the country, which stands at 3,000MW, according to the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO).
NEPCO Operations Department Director Amin Zaghal said the Kingdom's power grid yesterday witnessed an unprecedented load that is the highest record in the history of the country, adding that the company managed the situation without scheduled power cuts, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
He also said that the power grid can handle an increase in the load up to 2,800MW, explaining that the load increased by 4 per cent this year compared to last year, which amounted to 2,560MW.
Zaghal also noted that adding four generating units with a total capacity of 530MW to the Samra and Qatraneh power plants helped support the power grid's capacity.
The load on the Kingdom's power grid reached 2,400MW on Saturday, the peak of a heatwave that started affecting the country on Friday and began to gradually ease off yesterday.
Electricity consumption is expected to drop by 8 per cent during Ramadan, which starts today, as industries and institutions close down early.
As working hours during Ramadan are reduced and many restaurants close their doors, electric loads on the power grid are expected to be 150MW lower, according to NEPCO.
In mid-July the government announced that working hours in public institutions will be between 10:00am to 3:00pm during the holy month.
© Jordan Times 2011
