MADRID: Spain had to resort to all available gas plants to cope with growing electricity demand triggered by the scorching temperatures in recent days, industry association Sedigas said on Thursday.
The country, like many others, has been hammered by a heatwave that has pushed temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). As Spaniards turned to air conditioning to tackle high temperatures, electricity demand went up.
On Tuesday, when these plants produced around 30 percent of the overall electricity, “the system operator had to resort to all available natural gas production units to be able to meet the demand,” Sedigas said.
These plants, known as combined cycle power plants, play an important role in particular in the early hours of the night, at around 10 p.m., when demand is still high but the contribution of solar plants is minimal.
Between June 1 and July 19, Natural gas plants produced around 22 percent of the country’s electricity, Sedigas said. Last year, these pants produced almost a fourth of the country’s electricity.
El Corte Inglés, one of Spain’s largest department store chains, said earlier this week that sales of air conditioning units had jumped, as had interest in cooling pads for pets.
Spain activates all its gas plants to cope with heatwave
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Spain activates all its gas plants to cope with heatwave
- The country has been hammered by a heatwave that has pushed temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius
- As Spaniards turned to air conditioning to tackle high temperatures, electricity demand went up
Pope Leo XIV calls for global truce on Christmas Day
- Pope Leo expressed “great sadness” that “apparently Russia rejected a request” for truce
CASTEL GANDOLFO: Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday called for a global truce on Christmas Day, expressing “great sadness” that “apparently Russia rejected a request” for one.
“I am renewing my request to all people of good will to respect a day of peace — at least on the feast of the birth of our Savior,” Leo told reporters at his residence in Castel Gandolfo near Rome.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and has repeatedly rejected calls for a ceasefire saying it would only give a military advantage to Ukraine.
“Among the things that cause me great sadness is the fact that Russia has apparently rejected a request for a truce,” the pope said.
Referring to conflicts in general, Leo said: “I hope they will listen and there will be 24 hours of peace in the whole world,” he added.
Ukraine on Tuesday pulled out troops from a town in the east of the country after fierce battles with Russian forces as relentless strikes by Moscow killed three civilians and cut power to thousands in freezing winter temperatures.
There was no sign of an imminent breakthrough after top negotiators from both Russia and Ukraine were in Miami last weekend for separate meetings with US officials seeking a deal to end almost four years of fighting.
Pope Leo met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this month.
Asked if he would accept Zelensky’s invitation to visit Ukraine, Leo later said “I hope so,” but cautioned it was not possible to say when such a trip would be possible.
He also said that seeking peace in Ukraine without European diplomatic involvement was “unrealistic” and warned US President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan risked a “huge change” in the transatlantic alliance.
