Electricity demand on the wane in June

Company sources attributed this fall in demand to instability in weather patterns during the first ten days of the month, which meant that the expected rise in temperatures for the time of year was put back until the second fortnight in June when people eventually began to use air conditioning facilities.

The same sources, reported however, that the downward trend in June was within forecast. The balance is achieved because demand for electricity registered a rise in June in 2003 of 15.3 percent due to the early arrival of high temperatures.

The fall in demand in June this year has affected all the Islands, but especially Majorca, where a decrease of 8.1 percent has been registered to settle at 323'828 Megawatt/hours (MWh). On Ibiza and Formentera, demand fell by 4.8 percent (58'802 MWh).

This is the first decline since the one registered in August of 2002, a month characterised by temperatures lower than those customary for that month of the year.

Nevertheless in the cumulative figure for the first six months of 2004, the demand for electricity in the Balearics increased by 4.3 percent in relation to the same period for the previous year, with 2'465'343 MWh.

With regard to the maximum level of power demanded this month (up until 28 June), 808 Megawatts has been registered on the Majorca-Minorca electricity distribution grid; and 134 MW on the Ibiza-Formentera grid, lower than the points recorded in the same month last year, which were 834 and 139 MW respectively.

Gesa Endesa has put the forecasts for this summer at 955 MW for the Majorca-Minorca grid and at 178 MW on the Ibiza and Formentera distribution grid. The absolute record for maximum demand in 2003 in the Balearics, was registered on 19 August, with 914 and 169 MW respectively, for both electricity distribution systems.