Guangdong hits new peak power load amid robust economic growth and high temperatures

South China Grid Guangdong Power Grid records its first annual electricity load peak on May 27, reaching 165.93 million kilowatts at 13:44. The figure represents a year-on-year increase of 0.61 per cent, with the arrival of the first load surge nearly two months earlier than in previous years. Stable and orderly power supply is maintained across Guangdong at present.

According to South China Grid Guangdong Power Dispatching Center, the early and sharp rise in power load stems from multiple driving factors. Affected by El Niño, temperatures in Guangdong are 0.6℃ to 3℃ higher than the seasonal average. Sustained high temperatures trigger massive air-conditioning power consumption, while steady economic recovery and effective consumption-boosting policies further boost overall electricity demand.

Electricity consumption data reflects the province’s solid industrial and digital economic momentum. From January to April, Guangdong’s total social electricity consumption rose 8.77 per cent year on year. Power usage of the province’s 307 data centres increased by 18.48 per cent, demonstrating accelerated development of digital industries and improved digital infrastructure.

Advanced manufacturing sectors also register strong power consumption growth. The electricity consumption of Guangdong’s high-end and equipment manufacturing industries hit 58.9 billion kilowatt-hours in the first four months, up 8.51 per cent year on year. The growth rate outpaces the provincial manufacturing average by 1.4 percentage points, highlighting the rapid high-end, intelligent and green transformation of local manufacturing.

To cope with the soaring power demand, Guangdong Power Grid has strengthened meteorological-grid coordination via enhanced data sharing and joint consultations with meteorological authorities. Leveraging neural network-based artificial intelligence models and multi-dimensional meteorological indicators including perceived temperature, the grid achieves precise load forecasting with an annual accuracy rate of 98.5 per cent, ensuring sufficient standby power capacity.

Substantial grid infrastructure expansion is underway to support summer power guarantee. New key projects including the Deqing power transmission and transformation project and Fanshi offshore wind power delivery project have been operational this year, unlocking transmission channels for new energy in western Guangdong and facilitating grid connection of large-scale offshore wind power units. Six additional power projects such as the 220-kV Xinji and Beipo projects will be completed and put into operation by late June to consolidate power supply capacity for the upcoming summer peak period.