diff --git a/Snakefile b/Snakefile
index 91c48a00..55ae3d20 100644
--- a/Snakefile
+++ b/Snakefile
@@ -67,18 +67,29 @@ if config['enable'].get('retrieve_databundle', True):
         log: "logs/retrieve_databundle.log"
         script: 'scripts/retrieve_databundle.py'
 
+if config["enable"].get('retrieve_opsd_load_data', True):
+    rule retrieve_load_data:
+        input: HTTP.remote("data.open-power-system-data.org/time_series/2019-06-05/time_series_60min_singleindex.csv", keep_local=True, static=True)
+        output: "data/load_raw.csv"
+        run: move(input[0], output[0])
 
-rule retrieve_load_data:
-    input: HTTP.remote("data.open-power-system-data.org/time_series/2019-06-05/time_series_60min_singleindex.csv", keep_local=True, static=True)
-    output: "data/load_raw.csv"
-    run: move(input[0], output[0])
+    rule build_load_data:
+        input: "data/load_raw.csv"
+        output: "resources/load{weather_year}.csv"
+        log: "logs/build_load_data{weather_year}.log"
+        script: 'scripts/build_load_data.py'
 
+if config["enable"].get('retrieve_artificial_load_data', False):
+    rule retrieve_artificial_load_data:
+        input: HTTP.remote("https://sandbox.zenodo.org/record/1089549/files/demand_hourly.csv", keep_local=True, static=True)
+        output: "data/load_artificial_raw.csv"
+        run: move(input[0], output[0])
 
-rule build_load_data:
-    input: "data/load_raw.csv"
-    output: "resources/load{weather_year}.csv"
-    log: "logs/build_load_data{weather_year}.log"
-    script: 'scripts/build_load_data.py'
+    rule build_artificial_load_data:
+        input: "data/load_artificial_raw.csv"
+        output: "resources/load{weather_year}.csv"
+        log: "logs/build_artificial_load_data{weather_year}.log"
+        script: "scripts/build_artificial_load_data.py"
 
 
 rule build_powerplants:
diff --git a/config.default.yaml b/config.default.yaml
index 45d664a2..b79f2559 100755
--- a/config.default.yaml
+++ b/config.default.yaml
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ enable:
   retrieve_cost_data: true
   build_cutout: false
   retrieve_cutout: true
+  retrieve_opsd_load_data: true
+  retrieve_artificial_load_data: false
   build_natura_raster: false
   retrieve_natura_raster: true
   custom_busmap: false
diff --git a/config.tutorial.yaml b/config.tutorial.yaml
index 2217f581..fcf53d46 100755
--- a/config.tutorial.yaml
+++ b/config.tutorial.yaml
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ enable:
   retrieve_cost_data: true
   build_cutout: false
   retrieve_cutout: true
+  retrieve_opsd_load_data: true
+  retrieve_artificial_load_data: false
   build_natura_raster: false
   retrieve_natura_raster: true
   custom_busmap: false
diff --git a/scripts/build_artificial_load_data.py b/scripts/build_artificial_load_data.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..c03bf9da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/build_artificial_load_data.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 The PyPSA-Eur Authors
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+"""This rule downloads the load data"""
+
+import logging
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+from _helpers import configure_logging
+
+import pandas as pd
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+
+    if 'snakemake' not in globals():
+        from _helpers import mock_snakemake
+        snakemake = mock_snakemake('build_artificial_load_data', weather_year='')
+
+    configure_logging(snakemake)
+
+    weather_year = snakemake.wildcards.weather_year
+    if weather_year:
+        snapshots = dict(
+            start=weather_year,
+            end=str(int(weather_year)+1),
+            closed="left"
+        )
+    else:
+        snapshots = snakemake.config['snapshots']
+    snapshots = pd.date_range(freq='h', **snapshots)
+
+    fixed_year = snakemake.config["load"].get("fixed_year", False)
+    years = slice(str(fixed_year), str(fixed_year)) if fixed_year else slice(snapshots[0], snapshots[-1])
+    countries = snakemake.config['countries']
+
+    load = pd.read_csv(
+        snakemake.input[0],
+        index_col=0,
+        parse_dates=True
+    ).loc[snapshots, countries]
+
+    assert not load.isna().any().any(), 'Load data contains nans.'
+
+    if fixed_year:
+        load.index = load.index.map(lambda t: t.replace(year=snapshots.year[0]))
+
+    load.to_csv(snakemake.output[0])
diff --git a/test/config.test1.yaml b/test/config.test1.yaml
index 48b8216a..cfe7cf57 100755
--- a/test/config.test1.yaml
+++ b/test/config.test1.yaml
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ enable:
   retrieve_cost_data: true
   build_cutout: false
   retrieve_cutout: true
+  retrieve_opsd_load_data: true
+  retrieve_artificial_load_data: false
   build_natura_raster: false
   retrieve_natura_raster: true
   custom_busmap: false