The plummeting temperature in Delhi has raised power demand to newer heights with December clocking a peak of 5,213 MW, the highest ever for the month. For the first time in Delhi's history, the peak power demand in December has crossed the 5,000 MW-mark. Forecasts from SLDC (State Load Dispatch Centre) indicate that Delhi’s peak power demand this winter could surpass 6300 MW, setting a new seasonal high.
As per the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC), power demand stood at 5,213 MW at 10:50 am on Tuesday, after touching 5,046 MW on Monday. Delhi's peak power demand in December was 4,884 MW in 2023, and 4,964 MW in 2022, discom officials said.
The winter months in Delhi are expected to follow the record-breaking summer trend in peak power demand, which touched an unprecedented peak of 8,656 MW this year. As per officials, the peak power demand in the capital this winter is expected to cross 6,300 MW.
A BSES spokesperson said that green energy will meet up to 53 per cent of the over 3,900 MW peak power demand in areas under BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL).
Advanced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning tools are also being used for accurate forecasting to tackle the growing winter power demand, he said. BRPL and BYPL successfully met this season's peak winter power demand of 2,194 MW and 1,038 MW in their respective areas so far, the spokesperson said.
Last winter, the peak hit 5816 MW, marking the highest level recorded in the national capital. Within the BRPL and BYPL areas, winter peaks previously hit 2529 MW and 1210 MW, respectively, this winter, they are projected to exceed 2600 MW for BRPL and 1240 MW for BYPL.
Last winter, the peak hit 5,816 MW on January 22, marking the highest level recorded in the national capital in winter months. The peak power demand in areas within BRPL and BYPL are projected to exceed 2,600 MW and 1,240 MW, respectively, officials said.
To deliver reliable power year-round, BSES discoms are focusing on strategic power planning, precise demand forecasting, and maintaining a robust distribution network. These measures are set to ensure consistent power availability for more than 50 lakh consumers covering two crore residents in South, West, East and Central Delhi during the coming winter months.
According to discoms, BRPL plans to bank up to 210 MW, while BYPL aims to bank up to 575 MW, supporting states like Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Kerala, which reciprocated with power support during Delhi’s peak summer months.
Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (Tata Power-DDL) has also successfully met this winter season’s peak power demand of 1646 MW today, the highest till date, without any power outages or network constraint.