Tehran, Iran, July 5
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
Power consumption in Iran is rapidly approaching the actual output, thus increasing fears of outage in the hot days of summer.
Over the past 24 hours, the country witnessed a consumption of 53,698 megawatts, ILNA news agency reported July 5.
This is while the country’s electricity output stands at 54,000 megawatts. The most recent peak indicates a rise of 1,000 megawatts compared to last year’s peak.
Electricity demand is forecast to reach as high as 56,000 MW this summer, according to a report by Iran's Energy Ministry.
According to the report, between 2006 and 2010, the national grid experienced the highest power load at night, but peak demand has shifted to summer daylight in the past few years.
Reportedly, Iran's electricity exchange stood at 1,929 MW on June 2, of which 1,260 MW accounted for exports.
The country imported 260 MW on the same day, which kept the electricity trade balance positive.
The southwestern Iranian city Ahvaz on July 2 registered a record temperature of 129 degrees Fahrenheit, near hottest on Earth in modern measurements.