Shanghai maintains stable power supply as demand hits record

Shanghai has taken proactive measures to ensure stable power supply as the city's electricity consumption hit unprecedented levels on Friday due to persistent high temperatures.

The grid load peaked at 40.302 million kilowatts on Friday, coinciding with an intense heat wave that has enveloped Shanghai since late July, according to the State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company.

Shanghai leads the nation in power load density, with the small Lujiazui area consuming twice the power per square kilometer compared to New York's Manhattan or Tokyo's Ginza district, according the company.

Rising to the challenge, the company has executed a comprehensive strategy to meet the surge in demand.

The multifaceted approach encompasses reinforcing the city's basic power supply, expanding external power sources, and enhancing demand-side management. Measures including interprovincial power transactions and dynamic peak-demand pricing have also played crucial roles in managing the increased load.

Shanghai's power infrastructure continues to evolve, with plans underway for a new major power channel, said the company. The Kubuqi-Shanghai ±800 kilovolt direct current super-high voltage transmission project will further enhance the city's capacity to meet growing energy needs by 2028.

Concurrently, Shanghai is making progress in green energy adoption. The company said the city now sources 22 percent of its total electricity consumption from clean hydropower, with local new energy installations rapidly expanding.

Locally, the installed capacity of new energy sources has exceeded 4 million kilowatts and is projected to surpass 6 million kilowatts by 2025, said the company.