Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne, the Polish grid operator, informed that on 1 August (Tuesday) the demand for power in the morning peak of the summer period was record-breaking.
The country’s registered demand at 1:15 pm was 23 215 MW. The previous record for the morning peak demand in the summer was 22 883 MW and happened on 28 June 2017.
According to PSE, the predicted available spare capacity was higher than the peak demand on Tuesday by 1100 MW. The Polish grid also used almost 600 MW of imported electricity. Over 800 MW was generated by wind turbines.
According to the Polish Press Agency (PAP), despite the heat wave, the adverse circumstances, which caused blackouts back in August 2015 in the country, have not taken place this time. In 2015 the high temperatures were caused by low river water levels, which is why units that used river water for cooling had to limit production. Currently, the hydrological situation is a lot better.
PAP also pointed that one of the reasons behind the issues from two years ago were the so-called loop flows from Germany, which 'clogged’ the Polish grid and limited import. However, since one of the interconnectors with Germany was shut down for renovation and the other one was equipped with a phase shifter, the loop flows have practically disappeared this year. Additionally, the 500 MW link with Lithuania has been online for over a year and a half. PSE also prepared other back-up mechanisms, including DSR, i.e. reduction of energy demand by consumers at the operator’s request.