S. Korea ready to supply record high electricity during summer

By Kang Yoon-seung

SEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Tuesday it is ready to supply a record high amount of electricity in July and August to brace for a possible hike in electricity demand during the widely anticipated hot and humid summer season.

The move came as the country's maximum electricity demand is estimated to range from 87.3 million to 90.8 million kilowatts (kW) during the summer, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The ceiling is based on the assumption that the average temperature hits 30.1 C during the peak.

Energy demand is especially expected to reach the highest levels from the final week of July to the second week of August, it added.

The country's power supply capacity is expected to reach 100.1 million kW over the hottest part of summer, up roughly 1.8 percent from the previous year's peak. An additional 7.29 million kW of reserve power will also be on standby.

Accordingly, South Korea's energy reserve rate is expected to hover around 10 to 15 percent over the peak period.

South Korea said it also will roll out energy-saving campaigns without face-to-face contact due to the new coronavirus pandemic and call for voluntary participation from the private sector.

colin@yna.co.kr
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