SAO PAULO, (Reuters) – Electricity consumption in Brazil broke records on Monday afternoon, topping 100.95 gigawatts (GW) for the first time ever as regions across the country face extremely high temperatures.
Data from Brazil’s national power system operator ONS showed that an electrical load record was hit at 2:17 p.m. (1717 GMT) on Monday, eclipsing the previous all-time high of 97.66 GW less than two months earlier.
ONS has been noticing a trend of high electricity use on high temperatures in the country in recent months, even before the usual spike when the Southern Hemisphere’s summer starts in December.
Brazil’s constant heatwaves have been forcing residents to increase the use of equipment such as air conditioners, fans and refrigerators.
National weather agency Inmet issued a heatwave warning last week, when forecasts indicated temperatures were set to be 5 degrees Celsius above average for two to three consecutive days in center-western and southeastern Brazil.
Several areas of the country including its two most populous cities, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, have seen temperatures surge in recent days.
Sao Paulo on Monday registered a maximum high of 37.7 degrees Celsius (99.86 ºF), which weather forecaster Climatempo said was the highest for a November day in the city since 1943.
To meet the increased power demand, ONS has been activating more thermoelectric plants in recent days, especially in the afternoons, according to Roberto Brandao, a researcher at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ).
The soaring temperatures are proving positive for power generators such as Eneva ENEV3.SA, which said on Monday it had good prospects for the fourth quarter after having to activate a large part of its thermoelectric plants due to the heat.
Energy prices have also soared.
On Monday, when the load record was reached, electricity in the spot market was traded at 234.88 reais ($48.33) per megawatt-hour, well above the 69.04-real floor set by the power regulator.
Prices could continue to multiply, with energy trader Stigma estimating highs of as much as 600 reais/MWh.
