KOCHI: With summer peaking and mercury crossing 400C in many parts of Kerala, households are on an air conditioner purchasing spree, driving power demand to record highs. With power consumption soaring, the KSEB is being forced to expedite upgradation of its distribution network, initially planned for 2026.
As nights turn uncomfortably warm, hundreds of ACs are being added to the network every day and transformers are blowing up, unable to bear the load. The consumption peaks between 10.30pm to 10.45pm and the state is witnessing a surge of 600MW within five minutes which leads to tripping of transformers. In some areas, power lines snap due to load spike, which can result in mishaps, an official said.
A surge in use of ACs explains the steep rise in power demand, say top KSEB officials. The increase in consumption has been more than 50% in some areas, causing overload and failure of transformers. This has placed additional pressure on the staff of KSEB’s section offices, which are flooded with calls during outages.
“We had proposed a 10-year project to upgrade power-distribution network, but the rise in consumption has forced us to expedite the proposal, which was scheduled to start after two years. It has scuttled our calculations. The pattern of high consumption has shifted from commercial to residential areas. There are areas where more than 50 ACs come under a single transformer. Our distribution network can take a 5% annual increase in consumption, but consumption is up over 50% in certain areas, which has led to frequent transformer failures,” said KSEB director (Transmission) Saji Poulose.
A normal 100KV transformer can handle around 50 ACs. However, in many urban centres, transformers are dealing with double that number over the past two months.
Upgrading the distribution network is a time-consuming exercise that requires huge investments. KSEB has to acquire land and set up new lines. The situation is worse in Malappuram and Kannur, where previous upgrades had to be called off due to protests. However, in a relief for KSEB, its call to avoid charging of electric vehicles during peak hours has received a positive response from consumers. KSEB has urged all to use ACs judiciously by setting unit temperatures at 24C to reduce power consumption.
BEARING THE LOAD
5,681 MW Record peak load registered at 10.34pm on April 26
111.79 MU Daily consumption high recorded on April 9
Over 600 transformers replaced in last 3 months across state