Heatwave in Delhi: Power demand hits season’s high of 6,532MW

NEW DELHI: Delhi’s peak power demand touched 6,532 megawatt (MW) at 3.29 pm on Monday, which was the highest this season, as many areas reeled under heatwave conditions. Sources said the power demand in Delhi has been increasing consistently since the beginning of May and is expected to cross 7,000MW by the end of this month.

According to officials, the peak power demand in summer this year is likely to break past records and reach up to 8,000 MW. The Delhi government has already issued instructions to the power distribution companies to ensure uninterrupted power supply.
“The power minister had earlier this year held a meeting with discoms as well as power generation and transmission companies to be on alert and ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity this summer. Last year, Delhi had recorded the peak demand of 7,695 MW in the month of June. This time, the peak demand is likely to cross 8,000MW,” said an official.
“The discoms have already shared a detailed summer plan with the expected peak loads in their respective areas and the capacity addition they have made to ensure there are no local power cuts. Both BSES and Tata Power have made necessary arrangements to cater to the ever-growing increase in power demand,” the official added.
With air-conditioners running at full throttle in a majority of commercial and residential buildings, sources say the power demand this year has increased by 85% since April 1 while almost 80% since May 1.
“The power demand in the month of April fluctuated due to the weather. It reached up to nearly 5,400MW in mid-April but again came down,” said another official. “The month of May started on a cooler note due to sporadic rain and the demand was also low. But it has been continuously increasing now. On May 1, the power demand was just 3,644MW and it has now reached 6,532MW today,” the official added.
The summer of 2022, however, was much hotter and the demand crossed the 7,000MW mark on May 19.
“During the year, the discoms have invested substantial resources to strengthen the network. A large part of the augmentation, which is necessary to carry the additional power load during summer months, has already been undertaken,” said the official.