Power demand in city surges past 6,000 MW

With summers expected to be abnormally hot, peak power demand likely to hit an all-time high

For the first time ever Capital’s power demand surged past the 6,000 MW mark in the month of April. On Thursday afternoon, as the temperature touched the 43 degrees Celsius mark, Delhi’s peak power demand shot up to 6,000 MW, according to the real-time data of State Load Dispatch Centre, Delhi.

“For the first time in April, Delhi’s peak power demand clocked 6,000 MW. It was 3.7% more than the peak power demand of 5,769 MW on Wednesday afternoon,” a discom official said.

The maximum temperature recorded at the Safdarjung weather station on Thursday, considered the base for the Capital, was 43.5 degrees Celsius, which is the highest temperature Delhi has seen in the month of April in the past 12 years. 

On April 18, 2010, Delhi had recorded a maximum temperature of 43.7 degrees Celsius. The highest temperature that has been recorded in the Capital in the month of April was 45.6 degrees Celsius on April 29, 1941.

Discom officials say the power demand is likely to rise further this summer breaching the all-time high of 7,409 MW recorded on July 2, 2019.

The peak power demand this year is expected to be around 8,200 MW which will be an increase of around 285% compared to 2,879 MW that was registered in the year 2002, the official added.

A BSES spokesperson said that the peak power demand in the areas of its discoms -- BRPL and BYPL-- clocked 2,549 MW and 1,375 MW respectively.