Korea orders companies to reduce power amid bitter cold

Published : Jan 25, 2018 - 10:55 Updated : Jan 25, 2018 - 10:55

South Korea's state-run power exchange said Thursday it has ordered local companies to cut their power use to maintain a stable electricity reserve rate for the second consecutive day as the bitter cold gripping most of the nation was driving up heating demand.

The Korea Power Exchange said it issued a demand response order to companies to cut electricity use between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. as the country's power use soared to 86 million kilowatts earlier in the morning.

Officials at the Korea Power Exchange keep an eye on power levels. (Yonhap)

The order, the fourth this year, came as most parts of South Korea were hit by a severe cold wave. The weather agency issued a cold weather alert across the country, with the temperature in Seoul falling to minus 17 degrees Celsius.

About 2,700 companies are expected to save about 2.7 million kW of electricity under the order during the peak hours, the exchange said.

The electricity reserve rate remained at a stable level of 14-15 percent as of 9:30 a.m., according to the KPX.

The demand response system operates when load reductions are needed to prevent shortfalls in power supply. Adopted in 2014, 3,580 companies are members of the system. The KPX used the system five times last year. (Yonhap)