Australia witnesses intense heatwave, tests country’s power grid

Scorching conditions stretch the grid as people crank up power-hungry air conditioners, while the heat reduces the capacity of transmission wires to carry electricity.

By: Reuters | Sydney | Published: January 19, 2018 10:29 am

Australia witnesses intense heatwave, tests country's power grid

Spectator’s cool down in front of water spraying fans as temperatures rise close to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia. (Source: AP)

Sweltering weather across southern Australia sparked power price spikes on Friday and prompted the national grid operator to put emergency generators on standby.

Temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104°F) represent the first major test of the energy grid this year after nearly 2,000 megawatts of extra capacity were added to prevent blackouts that have previously hit household and industrial users.

The extra capacity includes the world’s biggest lithium ion battery built by Tesla Inc, which was switched on last month and provides 120 megawatts.