Delhi's Power Demand Surges Amid Heat Wave, Likely To Peak At 9,000 MegaWatt

Delhi is bracing for a scorching summer, with the city's power demand surging to a record high of 5029 MW. The demand is expected to peak at a staggering 9000 MW in the coming months, posing a significant challenge to the city's power infrastructure.

On Tuesday, it was recorded at 5029 megawatts (MW) at 3:30 pm, the highest power demand in the city so far this season. This increase in demand is likely due to the rising heat and increased use of cooling appliances

According to the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC), Delhi is likely to witness another record-breaking power milestone, with the peak power demand expected to touch 9000 MW for the first time this summer.

This comes after the national capital recorded its highest-ever demand of 8656 MW in 2024. BSES discoms--BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL)--are preparing to ensure uninterrupted power supply to over 50 lakh consumers and 2 crore residents across South, West, East, and Central Delhi.

According to an official statement, these preparations include power banking arrangements with multiple states, advanced forecasting techniques using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), and a significant contribution from green energy sources.

According to estimates, the power demand in BRPL's jurisdiction--covering South and West Delhi--is expected to reach around 4050 MW, up from 3809 MW in 2024.

In BYPL's area, which includes East and Central Delhi, the peak demand is likely to touch 1900 MW, slightly higher than last year's 1882 MW.

BSES discoms have secured long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) and banking arrangements to meet this rising demand. The company has also entered into power banking arrangements with several states, ensuring the supply of up to 500 MW during peak summer months.

"To meet today's power challenges and to get a grip on so many varied and dynamic variables, BSES uses a mix of advanced statistical forecasting models, combined with state-of-the-art weather forecasting solutions, including Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning and rich domain expertise provided by IMD-POSCO. These analytics help us build models, which lead to high accuracy planning and huge saving of man-hours," BSES said in a statement.

BSES further noted, "This accurate day-ahead, intra-day, and medium-term demand forecasting is vital for optimal and cost-effective planning in ensuring reliable power supply to consumers. BSES has also started actively utilising the Real-Time Market, a new offering on the Power Exchange. This is helpful in balancing RE power and maintaining grid balance."

"Delhi's peak power demand has surged significantly over the last two decades. In 2002, the city's highest power demand stood at 2879 MW. It crossed 7000 MW for the first time in 2018, peaking at 7016 MW. The projected 9000 MW demand this summer represents an increase of over 300% since 2002," the statement added.

A major portion of Delhi's power supply will come from renewable sources, with over 2100 MW of green power ensuring a reliable electricity supply. This includes 888 MW of solar power from the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), 500 MW of wind power, 546 MW of hydroelectric power, 40 MW from waste-to-energy projects, and over 160 MW from rooftop solar installations across the city.

To ensure a seamless power supply, BSES has undertaken several initiatives to strengthen its network. In addition to preventive maintenance, the company is using predictive techniques to identify potential faults.

"During the year, BSES discoms have strengthened the network and undertook several unique measures to ensure reliable power supply during the summer months. Apart from preventive maintenance, BSES has also done extensive predictive checks to identify hot-spots or to pre-determine potential faults and to take remedial measures. This is done through thermal scanning, partial discharge measurement, and health assessment of power and distribution transformers. An online load monitoring system is also in place for tracking the power transformers & 11kV feeder load, especially during the summers," the statement added.

Additionally, BRPL is likely to procure up to 1100 MW through bilateral contracts. If any unforeseeable contingency arises, BSES discoms will buy short-term power from the exchange as per requirement.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)