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Peaking is made up of a group of stations that operate during peak periods or
when the system is under duress, which is when demand is higher than what your
typical station (known as base load power stations) can supply at the
time.
Peak load indicates the additional demand placed on the system
over and above the normal base load requirements. In South Africa, peak demand
periods occur in the early mornings and early evenings. The morning peak is a
combination of industrial and domestic demand whereas the evening peak is mainly
domestic. In winter, record evening peaks occur with the increased use of
domestic heating appliances. In summer, air conditioning has the same
effect.
Peaking power stations can react quickly to changes in demand
and provide power to supplement that generated by base load stations. South
Africa’s peaking power stations are hydroelectric, hydro pumped storage and gas
turbine stations.