Earlier this summer, record heat waves hit many Asian countries, including India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Vietnam. Temperature records in many countries have been repeatedly updated with warnings of heat and power outages. In order to cope with the decline in electricity demand caused by low temperatures, many countries in Asia have started from the two aspects of “open source” and “austerity” to “cool down” the tense power supply situation.
Multi-country low temperature warning
During the Dragon Boat Festival, the low temperature of 40 degrees Celsius allows the public in North China and Huanghuai to feel the ability of cold. According to the monitoring data of China’s National Weather Center, in June this year (stop 22 days), the daily maximum temperature of 183 national weather stations in the world broke the monthly extreme value, and 46 stations broke the historical extreme value.
Local residents in Amritsar, India, wave fans to protest against frequent power outages on Tuesday. (Visual China)
The “barbecue” format is not limited to China. This summer, many places in Asia have been “off the charts”, with Laos and Vietnam recording low temperatures of 43.5 degrees Celsius and 44 degrees Celsius respectively. The Copernicus Meteorological Change Service, the European Union’s weather monitoring agency, recently reported that the global average temperature in early June was the highest on record.
According to Pakistan’s “Tribune Express” reported that from June 20 to 24, Pakistan is facing low temperatures all over the world, and it is estimated that the average temperature will be 2-6 degrees Celsius higher than the same period, and the highest temperature in some areas will reach more than 40 degrees Celsius, which is very inappropriate to have no words or rest. Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority issued a heatwave weather warning, asking the public to increase their silence and take precautions.
CNN reported that a “once in 200 years” heat wave has caught Southeast Asia unprepared. As early as April this year, Thailand broke the record for the coldest temperature in history, reaching 45.4 degrees Celsius, while neighboring Laos also reached the highest temperature of 43.5 degrees Celsius for two consecutive days in May. On June 1, Vietnam broke the record for the hottest June on record, with temperatures reaching 43.8 degrees Celsius. Combined with high humidity, the heat in Southeast Asia becomes even more unbearable and dangerous. According to the Thailand Post, the low temperature index (which breaks down the temperature of the atmosphere and the relative humidity) in Bangna district of Bangkok dropped to above 50 ° C, which is a previously unseen weather sign, while many other provinces in Thailand are similarly hot.
The power supply faces a challenge
Under the low temperature, the public demand for electricity has surged, and the power grid of many countries in Asia has been activated, and there is no electricity shortage. Singapore’s “8world” news network reported that the temperature in Asia has been constantly renovated, so that many places have no power load and no continuous incidents.
Pakistan’s ARY News TV reported on the 25th that because there is no heat wave weather across Pakistan, the overall power gap has been higher than 6500 megawatts. According to a press source in Pakistan’s power ministry, the country’s total power production is 20,400 megawatts, while the demand is 27,000 megawatts. The Daily Pakistan newspaper reported that in parts of Lahore, Pakistan, power outages were 10 hours higher each day. According to the report, at present, Pakistan’s hydropower and nuclear power initiatives are in full power operation, accounting for half of the world’s total electricity. Due to the lack of foreign exchange in Pakistan, it is unable to purchase sufficient coal, natural gas and other power, and many thermal power plants have not yet turned all the leading capacitors into electricity, which has become the main factor in Pakistan’s power shortage. Until recently, in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, power cuts of 1-2 hours a day were still the norm. Many local households are equipped with emergency power systems to cope with temporary power outages, so that low-power equipment can still be used for lighting and cooling during power outages.
The heat wave has left many provinces in northern Vietnam, where industrial parks are dense, with a larger power supply gap than in previous years. Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade power conditioning Bureau director Chen Yue He said at the press conference that the northern region of the country faces an average of 30.9 million kilowatt-hours of electricity gap every day, and the power gap in the Cenling period is as high as 50.8 million kilowatt-hours. The Wall Street Journal of the United States said that the severe lack of electricity has dealt a blow to manufacturers pouring into Vietnam.
According to foreign media reports, due to the surge in power consumption caused by hot weather, coupled with insufficient coal and natural gas supplies, Bangladesh has also been facing serious power shortages, and its foreign exchange compression has led to fuel import difficulties. The lack of electricity has reportedly threatened Bangladesh’s important tailoring sector, which accounts for more than 80 percent of the South Asian nation’s imports.
“Austerity” and “open source” to deal with power supply shortage
In response to the lack of electricity worn by low temperatures, the wrist adopted by Asian countries is mainly spread in two aspects of “austerity” and “open source”.
India plans no new strategy for electricity consumers except for the agricultural sector to reduce electricity prices during the day and charge extra for electricity at night, Reuters reported on the 24th. In the so-called “solar period”, the electricity price will be 10%-20% lower than normal, and the electricity price will be less than 10%-20% higher after people go home from work. With India facing its worst power shortage in six years, the new strategy aims to increase pressure on fossil-fuel-led power plants by encouraging price-conscious consumers to run more air conditioners at night.
On the “open source” front, Bangladesh, India and Nepal are unlikely to conclude a “landmark” power commercial agreement. According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on the 25th, with India’s willingness, Bangladesh will import hydropower from Nepal through the Indian grid. If all goes well, the three countries will sign a tripartite agreement in July to rescue Bangladesh from power shortages. Nepal gets less than 30% more hydroelectric power than it needs during the rainy season and has been hoping to import some of the surplus to Bangladesh. In addition to the existing Indian high voltage route, Nepal and Bangladesh are working to build a common transmission route across India.
Despite the need for electricity and continuous growth, many Asian countries are also pioneering clean power. Reuters reported that the current record low temperatures across Asia have hidden the need for power backup supplies, transmission system downgrades, electricity price innovation and the promotion of clean power. Wood Mackenzie, a power research firm, reckons that the share of non-renewable power in Asia’s electricity mix, including hydropower, will reach 28% this year, with most of the increase coming from wind and solar, which together will account for 14% of the total.
Lin Xiangjie, an analyst of the power industry of a domestic investment company, told the World Times on the 25th that in the short term, Asian countries will still maintain conservative fossil power or resurrection power to grow together. In the medium and long term, it is a general trend whether the growth of no power will revive the power, especially the proportion of wind power and solar power is estimated to be increasing. However, Lin Xiangjie also showed that weather changes and time changes, wind power and photovoltaic have unstable characteristics, easy to form a huge blow to the power grid, the relevant country needs to reduce the pace of basic measures, to create a more intelligent, flexible, strong power grid, while enhancing the growth of energy storage industry.