2023-11-14 23:52:07
By Letícia Fucuchima and Rodrigo Viga Gaier
SÃO PAULO/RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – The electricity load in Brazil reached a record for the second day in a row this Tuesday, driven by high temperatures across the country, which increase the use of refrigeration equipment, according to data from the National Electric System Operator (ONS).
The National Interconnected System’s (SIN) historical instantaneous load demand of 101.475 gigawatts (GW) was reached at 2:20 pm this Tuesday, surpassing the previous mark of 100.955 GW recorded the afternoon before, when the amount surpassed the 100 mark for the first time. GW, the agency said.
The ONS has been observing a trend of high energy consumption in recent months, even before the arrival of summer, due to heat waves hitting the country.
The operator reiterated this Tuesday that “SIN is robust, safe, has a wide diversity of sources and is prepared to meet the load and power demands of Brazilian society.”
Amid the intense heat, which is expected to last until Friday, according to the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) — with temperatures exceeding 40°C in some parts of the country –, the ONS now expects an increase of 11 % for the energy load in November in the annual comparison, at 79.78 GW, well above the 7.6% increase initially estimated for the month.
To meet the increase in energy consumption, the national operator has activated more thermoelectric plants in recent days, especially in the afternoon, said Roberto Brandão, senior researcher at the Electric Sector Study Group (Gesel), at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. January (UFRJ).
According to him, this thermoelectric dispatch has occurred to reinforce energy generation at a time when the load is highest and when solar generation begins to decline, as the afternoon falls.
“Only thermoelectric plants with relatively quick start-up and ramp times are used for this type of operation”, explained Brandão, also evaluating that the greater activation of thermal plants should not change, at this time, the tariff flag.
“The extra amounts dispatched in the afternoon are relatively low and only for a few hours,” he added.
The tariff flag calculated by the regulatory agency Aneel has remained green since the middle of last year, which means that there are no additional charges on consumers’ electricity bills, as the scenario for energy generation appears to be comfortable.
The trend towards greater activation of thermal plants is already positive for the source’s generators. The day before, Eneva said it had good prospects for the fourth quarter, after having activated a large part of its thermoelectric park in the face of strong heat in Brazil before summer even began.
(By Letícia Fucuchima, in São Paulo, and Rodrigo Viga Gaier, in Rio de Janeiro)
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