The new record was hit for the hour from 0700 GMT and follows a previous record of 24,536 MWh set on Jan. 15
OSLO: Electricity consumption in Norway hit an all-time high of 25,146-megawatt hours (MWh) early on Thursday amid an ongoing cold spell, outpacing domestic production, data from grid operator Statnett showed.
The new record was hit for the hour from 0700 GMT and follows a previous record of 24,536 MWh set on Jan. 15.
Unlike the previous high, demand outstripped supply, which reached 24,920 MWh at that time. Meanwhile, new records may be just around the corner.
“Our consumption forecast shows that we might see new records already next hour, tomorrow, or even next week due to low temperatures currently,” Tor Reier Lilleholt, head of analysis at Volume Insight said in a LinkedIn post.
Temperatures in Norway fell to -9.97 degrees Celsius (14.05 degrees Fahrenheit) by 0700 GMT, more than 7 degrees below normal, with average temperatures set to remain 7 degrees below normal or more until the end of next week, according to Refinitiv data.
Most Norwegian homes are heated electrically, while overall power demand has also increased due to more electricity use in the transport sector and from industry in recent years.
Electric vehicles took a record 54 percent market share of new car sales in the Nordic country in 2020. The recent cold weather has also driven up wholesale power prices in the short-term market to some of their highest levels in five years.
Source: Reuters
