Delhi: Mercury pushes power demand to highest

The surge was caused by the use of cooling devices; consumption reached 7,601 MW on Tuesday – the highest ever clocked in the city.
Image used for representational purpose only.
Image used for representational purpose only.

NEW DELHI: The incessant heat coupled with high levels of humidity pushed the national capital to clock a peak power demand of 7,601 megawatts (MW) on Tuesday – the highest ever recorded in the city. The peak demand broke the previous record of 7,409 MW clocked on July 2, 2019, said power officials.

According to the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) – apex body in the city to ensure integrated operation of power – at 3.21 pm on Tuesday, the city’s peak power demand not only clocked the season’s highest of 7,601 MW, but also the highest ever recorded in Delhi.

Continuing its northward climb, peak power demand crossed the 7,000 MW mark nine times this June and once in May this year. This year the peak demand is likely to breach the 8,000 MW mark for the first time and may even notch up to 8,200 MW, a discom official said.

Power officials said that with the ongoing hot and humid conditions, cooling load is the main reason behind the national capital’s power load. “In fact, according to estimates, almost around 50% of Delhi’s power demand in summers is because of the cooling load which means load from use of air-conditioners, coolers and fans,” an official said.

The peak power demand in the month of June was 6,921 MW in 2021, 6,314 MW in 2020, and 6,769 MW in 2019. The highest peak power demand in the previous years was 7,323 MW in 2021, 6,314 MW in 2020, 7,409 in 2019 and 7,016 MW in 2018.

The peak power demand in Delhi breached the 7,000 MW-mark for the first time in 2018 (July 10), when it clocked 7,016 MW. The following year (2019), it clocked 7,409 MW (July 2), the highest ever recorded in the history of Delhi, officials said.

Earlier, in April 2022, the peak power demand had been higher on 100 percent of the corresponding days vis a-vis that of the month of April in 2021, 2020 and 2019.

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