Delhi’s winter power demand hits 3-year peak

The last time Delhi had recorded a higher power demand in December was in 2019, when it went to 5,245 MW. The highest power demand in December 2021 was 4,723 MW, while it was 4,671 MW in December 2020

Plummeting temperatures pushed the peak power demand in Delhi on Monday to 4,803 MW -- the highest for the season and the maximum for December in the past three years, according to official data from the State Load Dispatch Centre.

Forecasts show the power demand is expected to rise further in the coming days and could touch a peak of 5,500 MW this winter season. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

The last time Delhi had recorded a higher power demand in December was in 2019, when it went to 5,245 MW. The highest power demand in December 2021 was 4,723 MW, while it was 4,671 MW in December 2020.

Forecasts show the power demand is expected to rise further in the coming days and could touch a peak of 5,500 MW this winter season. Last winter (2021-22), the power demand peaked at 5,104. In 2020-21, Delhi recorded a peak winter power demand of 5,021 MW and 5,343 MW in 2019-2020.

Delhi recorded the season’s lowest maximum and minimum temperature on Monday, with a high of 15.6 degrees – six degrees below normal. The minimum was recorded at 5 degrees – three degrees below normal. The previous lowest maximum and minimum was 16.2 degrees and 5.3 degrees Celsius respectively, which was recorded on Sunday.

Tata Power said it was successfully able to meet the record peak power demand of the season without any network constraints or power outages, and added that it was expecting the power demand to peak at 1,650 MW this season in its jurisdiction. For this, it said long-term power tie ups had been made to ensure reliability.

“Tata Power-DDL is fully committed to ensure highest level of efficacy to its consumers ensuring uninterrupted power supply. We have made surplus arrangement of power over and above the expected peak demand and it will also cater to contingencies. Besides this, we are also using a mix of smart technologies for better load forecasting to provide reliable power supply,” said Ganesh Srinivasan, CEO, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited.

According to BSES officials, green or renewable power will play an important in meeting the power demand in BSES areas in winter months.

“Apart from long-term agreements from power plants; including Hydro and Delhi based gas fuelled generating stations, BSES is also receiving 840 MW of solar power from Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI), 439 MW of wind power and around 25 MW from Waste-to Energy. We are also being helped by over 127 MW of roof-top solar power installed on roof-tops in South, West, East and Central Delhi,” said a BSES official, stating the discom was using a mix of advanced statistical forecasting models using complex algorithms, combined with state-of-the-art weather forecasting solutions to analyse the expected power demand.

While the two BSES discoms supply power to eastern and southern parts of city, Tata Power distributes power in northern parts of the Capital.