Electricity consumption in the country’s high-voltage category reached 655,583 MWh in July, the highest level registered since the beginning of 2017, data included in a monthly IPTO (power grid operator) report has shown.

As the high-voltage category is comprised of industrial and large-scale consumers, the development suggests total turnover and business activity struck an 18-month high in July.

However, overall electricity consumption, for all sectors, fell by 1.9 percent in July compared to the equivalent month a year earlier. Electricity self-consumption fell by 11 percent.

On the contrary, high-voltage consumers and mines registered electricity consumption increases of 6 and 15.2 percent, respectively.

Overall electricty generation between January and July in 2018 fell by 4 percent compared to the equivalent seven-month period a year earlier,  according to the IPTO data.

Electricity output at conventional power stations dropped by an overall 6 percent. More specifically, output in the lignite, natural gas and the “other fuel” categories dropped by 11, 17 and 28 percent, respectively.

On the contrary, hydropower production rose by 63 percent and renewable energy output increased by 4 percent.

Lignite-fired electricity production provided the biggest contribution to the grid’s overall mix, a 38 percent share. Natural gas followed with a 31 percent share. The RES sector was ranked third with 19 percent and hydropower fourth with 11 percent.