Peak power demand in Delhi reaches 7,409 MW, shatters all previous records

With monsoon still elusive, the peak power demand in Delhi set a new record on Tuesday (July 2, 2019) as it reached 7409 MW at 3:35 PM. This is the highest ever power demand recorded in the history of the city. Interestingly, the peak power demand on Monday (July 1, 2019) had touched 7241 MW at 3:29 PM, which was also a record.  The previous record of 7016 MW was set on July 10, 2018. Tuesday's peak power demand is the highest ever recorded in the history of the city.

Power supply in Delhi is provided by three distribution companies -- Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), and BSES discoms BYPL and BRPL. According to BSES,  arrangements have been firmed up by them to source adequate electricity to meet the power demand of over 42 lakhs consumers. These arrangements include long term PPAs and banking arrangements with other states including Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya, Manipur and Sikkim. 

According to an estimate by power discoms in Delhi, the peak power demand during this year was expected to touch as high as 7400 MW - an increase of over 250% over the peak power demand of 2879 MW in 2002. The peak power demand in Delhi crossed the 6000 MW for the first time in 2016 (6216 MW on July 1). In June 2019, Delhi’s peak power demand crossed 6000 MW on 24 days. Cooling load is the main reason factor behind the increase in Delhi’s power load. According to estimates, around 50% of power demand in Delhi during summers is because of the cooling load of airconditioners, coolers and fans.

On July 10, when the peak demand had set a new record, the BSES had said that the peak power demand this year marks an increase of over 250 per cent over the peak power demand of 2,879 MW in 2002. According to Delhi electricity distribution company (discom) BSES, the peak power demand in Delhi is substantially more than that of several cities and states. "It is more than the power demand of Mumbai and Chennai put together and thrice than that of Kolkata," BSES had said in July.

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"The fact that the city`s power demand is consistently crossing the 6,500 MW mark shows the robustness of the capital`s distribution and transmission system, which has been able to measure up. This has been possible on the back of an advanced distribution network and massive reduction in AT & C (aggregate technical and commercial) losses," BSES had said in a statement.

"During the year, BSES discoms have invested heavily to further improve and augment this network by adding new grid substations, power transformers, laying new feeders, shifting overhead lines underground and setting-up new distribution transformers among others," it had added.