NEPCO records highest winter load on power grid

AMMAN — The load on the national grid on Sunday reached its highest level in winter, at 3,180 megawatts (MW) out of a total capacity of 3,600MW, according to the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO).

NEPCO Production Planning Director Amin Zaghal told the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that the highest power load recorded last winter was 3,160MW. 

The highest load on the national grid in summer was registered last August, reaching 3,200MW, Zaghal added.

Also on Sunday, the Council of Ministers received a report on electricity grid violations, according to Petra. 

The report also recorded 20 assaults on Electricity Distribution Company (EDCO) employees from the beginning of 2015 until December 9.

EDCO cadres detected 2,601 violations in the same period and the company cut the power supply 2,652 times because of grid violations, according to the report. 

EDCO staff, in cooperation with security agencies, dealt with 806 cases of electricity theft and power metre tampering, the report said.

Electricity theft is estimated to cost the Kingdom about JD60 million annually.

Current laws stipulate that any person involved in stealing electricity faces between six months and two years in prison, and a fine of no less than JD2,000 and no more than JD10,000, or both penalties.