Cold front pushes electricity consumption to near-record high in Sweden

The oil-fuelled power station in Stenungsund has been fired up to meet demand. Photo: Lasse Nilsson P4 Göteborg. Radio Sweden.Sweden’s reserve electricity generators have been fired up as severe winter weather grips the country, with temperatures at a record 40 degrees Celsius below zero in parts of the North.

Experts tell Swedish Radio News that some industries may have to scale back on their power usage to ease an eventual supply shortage because four nuclear reactors have temporarily been taken out of use.

Oil-powered electricity generators in Stenungsund and Karlsham in the South are now in use because the nuclear reactors Ringshals 2, Forsmark 3 och Oskarshamn 1 and 3 have all been shut down.

Maria Jäderberg, the press spokesperson at Swedish Power Networks, says the highest electricity consumption ever seen in Sweden lies at 27 gigawatts in one hour. This morning, demand almost hit that number – reaching 26,5 gigawatts.

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