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Power cuts hit Algeria

By Lyes Aflou The heat wave roasting Algeria for the past week has resulted in power outages and aroused public anger.
Energy consumption has reached a record high this summer in Algeria. The sweltering weather is forcing locals to constantly keep their air conditioning on, which has resulted in repeated power cuts across the country.

"The impact of air conditioning is so great that for the past three years now, the summer maximum has been higher than the winter maximum," Electric System Operator (OSE), a subsidiary of the Sonelgaz group, explained in a communiqué released on Monday (July 11th).

The resulting power cuts have drawn the ire of consumers who are complaining that the outages are causing their food to rot.

"On Tuesday (July 12th), the electricity was cut off from 9am to 5pm," said Faiza, who works as a newspaper researcher and lives in Dely Brahim on the hills of Algiers. "The yoghurts and meat began to go off in the heat. We had to throw everything away. You can't keep anything at all."

The electricity was cut off for the whole night Monday in Ain Benian, to the west of Algiers. "It was like a furnace at home," Lies, who lives in the area, told Magharebia. "There's no way you can sleep in the suffocating heat of a sirocco."

Butchers are worried about losing their stock. Boualem, who works in the Rue Tanger in central Algiers, complained that his stall was beginning to turn blue.

"I can't say that I have any fresh meat," he said. "All of this meat will have to be thrown away if the power cuts keep happening. The authorities will have to think about compensating us."

In the eastern district of Les Bananiers, which hosts several flat blocks, both food wastage and out-of-order lifts are causing concern.

"I live on the 15th floor, it's a real job to go up the stairs several times," said Djamel, an academic. "I try to keep my comings and goings to a minimum, but when I'm busy, it's a real battle."

According to the OSE, spikes in energy consumption require building "a power plant with a capacity of almost 500 MW every year".

In the meantime, the company called on Algerians "to moderate their consumption for the benefit and comfort of all". It recommended that people switch off lights and electrical appliances when not needed, set air conditioners to a reasonable temperature and avoid using washing machines, irons and other high-consumption appliances at peak times.

In the communes of Laghrous, El-Hadjab and Chetma in Biskra Province, residents on Tuesday mounted protests against the power outages. The demonstrators blocked the RN 46 between Laghrous and El-Hadjab and the RN 83 in the commune of Chetma using stones and tree-trunks and burning tyres.

Sonelgaz 's regional distribution director based in Biskra, who met the protesters in Laghrous, explained that rolling power cuts in communes were "planned in order to lessen the strain on the grid".

In Ouled Djellal, 60km from Biskra, protestors on Monday set fire to a local Sonelgaz office. Eight police officers were injured, and eight demonstrators were detained.

The power black-out in some areas on the outskirts of Algiers was mainly due "to damage caused to the power grid", according to Lakehal Loucif, the official in charge of electricity and gas distribution in Gué de Constantine, 9km from the capital.

Weather forecasters say that the heat wave will continue over the week-end.

© Magharebia.com 2011