Guernsey Electricity recorded its highest demand for electricity on record yesterday as temperatures dropped to below freezing on-island.
On Tuesday 9 February, the effect of Storm Darcy saw the company supply a peak demand of 92MW (Megawatts) and just over 1.6 million kWh (kilowatt hours) of electricity to Island homes, which is 3MW* higher than the previous record set in 2018 when the so-called ‘Beast from the East’ brought a similar period of extremely cold weather locally. The Met Office predicts temperatures could lower further overnight on Wednesday although conditions are set to become milder at the weekend.
Jon Sexton, Head of Generation and Assets at Guernsey Electricity, said: “Demand for electricity reached record levels this week and despite being in lockdown, our dedicated and hard-working team continue to ensure a secure and reliable supply to the Island.
“We use technology that can accurately predict the Island’s requirement for electricity based on forecasted weather data, so we were prepared to meet this increased demand”.
Currently, over 90% of the Island’s electricity needs are met through the importation of 100% renewable electricity – wind, solar and hydro – and the power station is used to top-up when required. The current cold spell means the power station will be busy over the next few days, but in the long run, the role of the power station is changing.
Guernsey Electricity continues to progress a second cable directly with Normandy, which will provide 100MW of renewable and sustainable energy. When the two cables are in place, together with on-Island renewable generation, Guernsey will be able to meet all of its current and future energy needs and dramatically reduce carbon emissions in line with the targets set out in the States’ Energy Policy that was agreed in 2020.
