Heat wave drives Delhi’s peak power demand to season high of 5,268 MW

Delhi’s peak power demand reached a seasonal high of 5,268 MW on Sunday night amidst a heat wave. For the last two months, the closing down of commercial and industrial establishments besides offices had led a sharp decline in the overall power demand.

With relaxations in lockdown there are signs of revival of activities and the peak power demand in Delhi is expected to touch the last year’s peak of 7,409 MW by July 2020, a Tata Power Delhi Distribution (TPDDL) statement said.

On Sunday night, TPDDL had successfully met the peak power demand of 1,493 MW without any network constraint and power outage, the statement said.

As per India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi will witness a severe heat wave over the next few days and the temperature will continue to soar in the range of 45-47 degrees.

The Department has already declared a red alert in the city so that the service providers and the government agencies can plan in advance, the statement added.

“This summer season, Delhi is expected to witness an increase in demand with each passing day as everyone accustoms to the new normal and returns to routine. We have made adequate arrangements of power of up to 2,500 MW along with contingency planning, through long-term tie-ups, bilateral imports and power banking arrangements with other States and upgraded network to ensure regular supply in our area of distribution,” said Ganesh Srinivasan, CEO, TPDDL.