Hydro storage lake levels improved dramatically at the end of April 2010.
At the beginning of April 2010, New Zealand’s hydro-electric storage lakes stood at 3245 GigaWatt hours (GWh), 104% of average for the time of year. By month’s end, levels had risen to 4113 GWh, 136% of average for the time of year.
For most of April, hydro storage levels hovered about 3200 to 3400 GWh (100% to 110% of average) before dramatically rising from the 26th.
Inflows were average or above average on 16 days, with large inflows during the last six days of the month.
Interisland transfers via the Cook Strait cables returned to a more typical pattern, with south-to-north transfers exceeding southbound on 25 days.
Comparing weekday for weekday, demand was above or equal to the same day last year on 18 days. The average daily load for April 2010 was 99.7 GWh, compared with 98.2 GWh during April last year. This figure was 103.9 in 2008 and 102.8 in 2007.
Peak load for April 2010 occurred on the 8th when 108.9 GWh of energy was used. Peak load last April was 108.3 GWh (on the 22nd), compared with 109.6 GWh in April 2008 and 112.5 GWh in April 2007.
[ Compiled from information supplied by M-co ]