Delhi’s electricity demand crossed the 8,000-megawatt (MW) mark for the first time this season on Wednesday as the city continued to reel under intense heatwave conditions.
The Capital recorded a peak power demand of 8,039 MW at 3.35 pm, marking the earliest in the season that the threshold has been breached, according to data from the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) cited by Hindustan Times.
Last year, Delhi first crossed the 8,000 MW mark on May 22, when the peak demand touched exactly 8,000 MW. The figure continued to rise through June 2024, eventually reaching the city’s all-time high of 8,656 MW on June 19 during one of the harshest summers in recent years.
People cover their faces to beat the heat. File image/ANI Demand rising earlier than usual
Historically, Delhi’s peak power demand crosses 8,000 MW only in June or July. In comparison, the Capital’s highest demand in May stood at 6,916 MW in 2023, 7,070 MW in 2022 and 4,959 MW in 2021.
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Wednesday’s peak also surpassed Tuesday afternoon’s demand of 7,776 MW. Later on Tuesday night, the demand had climbed further to 7,841 MW, per a report by HT.
Despite the sharp rise, power distribution companies said electricity supply remained stable across the city without disruptions.
Discoms say preparations in place
BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) met peak demands of 3,665 MW and 1,753 MW respectively in their areas.
A local boy navigates the dried-up catchment area of Sanjay Lake. File image/ANI BSES officials said preparations had been made to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply for more than 5.3 million consumers and nearly 22.5 million residents across South, West, East and Central Delhi.
“The arrangements include long-term PPAs, bilateral tie-ups, banking arrangements with other states and advanced technologies to accurately estimate load and maintain uninterrupted supply,” a BSES official was quoted as saying by HT.
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Tata Power DDL, which supplies electricity to parts of north and northwest Delhi, said it successfully met a peak demand of 2,249 MW.
“Tata Power-DDL has undertaken measures such as bilateral agreements, reserve shutdown mechanisms, and participation in power exchanges to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the peak demand season,” a spokesperson told HT.
According to SLDC projections, Delhi’s peak power demand could touch nearly 9,000MW this year as temperatures continue to rise.
