Record balearic demand for winter power

Electricity consumption over the past few days in the Balearics has reached four new winter record levels. Demand on each of the region's four islands, Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera, reached record highs with Majorca and Minorca on Tuesday, using more power than the record level set on Monday. On Tuesday electricity consumption reached 750 megawatts, an all time high - 7.6 per cent higher than the previous record set in February, 2001. On Monday, demand reached 743 MW. In Ibiza and Formentera, the demand on Tuesday surged to 95 MW, four megawatts higher than on Monday and well up on the previous high on December 2001. On January 13, GESA pumped a record 180 tons of propane gas into the grid to meet demand. However, despite the freezing temperatures of the past week, power consumption in the Balearics, despite winter record highs, has still been lower than during the summer, when the population nearly doubles and industry and tourism is in full flow. The sharp dip in temperatures across the country also triggered a new record in electricity consumption on the mainland. Over the past week, people have turned heaters up at offices, factories and homes, contributing to a new record in electricity demand of 35'670 megawatts, 20 per cent above a normal winter day, the Spanish Electricity Network said. The last record was set on December 17, 2001, when consumption peaked at 34'930 megawatts. Enagas, the natural gas company, reported consumption up by 17.3 per cent over a normal day.