In 2023, total energy losses were 12.2 percent compared to the net consumption of the national electricity system (SEN), a figure that was slightly lower compared to that reported in 2022, according to data from the Ministry of Energy (Sener). .
Information from the agency indicates that last year the net consumption of electrical energy amounted to 345,439 gigawatt hours (GWh), so the country stopped billing 42,143 GWh. Sener did not specify the monetary value of the loss.
The secretariat highlighted that the portion of energy losses reported in 2023, which consolidates the technical ones – which originate when distributing electrical energy when the electrical conductors and transformers are heated – and the non-technical ones – theft, failures or damage to measuring equipment and administrative errors – was slightly lower than the 12.3 percent reported in 2022.
The fact of not increasing the percentage of total losses meant an improvement, considering that maximum temperatures were recorded during the summer in all regions of the country.
he pointed out when referring to the months of June, July, August of last year, when the maximum consumption was 33,744 GWh.
However, according to data from the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), energy losses were greater compared to the records at the beginning of the current administration.
In 2019, the first year of President López Obrador’s government, the percentage of energy loss was 10.9 percent compared to the net consumption of the SEN. According to the state company, in that year it stopped obtaining 54,845 million pesos because the energy losses were 34,467 GWh.
In particular, non-technical losses of electrical energy amounted to 32,560 million pesos, equivalent to 17,208 GWh, and technical losses of electrical energy amounted to 22,285 million pesos, which represented the loss of 17,260 GWh.
In that year, the data stood out because it was the first time that the index was below 11 percent. In the last year of Enrique Peña Nieto’s government, the measurement was 11.2 percent with respect to the net consumption of the SEN.
According to the CFE, to reduce non-technical energy losses, 6.2 million revisions to measurement equipment were carried out last year. Irregularities were detected for 10,843 gigawatts; 2,131 gigawatts were collected, equivalent to 4,597 million pesos.
In addition, 1.8 million meters that had reached their useful life or were damaged were modernized, which allowed an increase in sales of 211 gigawatts, equivalent to 449 million pesos.
Energy losses in the national transmission network and general distribution networks are one of the greatest challenges faced by transporters, suppliers, distributors and operators in an electrical power system.
said Sener.