Delhi power demand hits November record; peak touches 4,486 MW in fortnight

Delhi's power demand surged in November as winter set in early, with peak load hitting 4,486 MW in the second half of the month. Discoms expect winter demand to rise further

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Delhi is witnessing a record rise in power demand due to the early onset of winter this year, with the second half of November registering the highest daily power usage compared to the corresponding period over the last five years, according to latest data from the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC).

 

The peak demand during the fortnight (November 16-30) climbed to 4,486 megawatt (Mw), marking an unprecedented surge for the month.

 

“A similar trend is observed in the Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL) distribution area, where the winter peak demand has also risen sharply, reaching 1,455 Mw this season, one of the highest recorded in November in recent years,” a TPDDL spokesperson said.

 

With the India Meteorological Department forecasting a harsher-than-usual winter this year, Delhi’s power demand is expected to scale new highs. The overall winter peak demand for the capital is projected to touch 6,000 Mw, surpassing last year’s peak of 5,655 Mw.

 

The Tata Power-owned distributor expects the winter peak demand in its licensed area of North and North-West Delhi to reach 1,859 Mw this season, compared to last year’s peak of 1,739 Mw that was met by the discom. The company hopes to meet the anticipated rise in demand without disruptions.

 

“Adequate power arrangements have been made through long-term tie-ups, backed by a robust and diversified energy mix comprising 14 per cent solar, 17 per cent hydro, 2 per cent wind, 1 per cent waste-to-energy, 2 per cent nuclear and 65 per cent thermal sources,” the spokesperson said.

 

The company has put in place other measures, ranging from green power sourcing to banking, storage optimisation, and AI-based demand forecasting to ensure uninterrupted power supply throughout the winter period.

 

The other two power discoms in Delhi - Reliance Power-owned BSES Rajdhani (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna (BYPL) - had last month said the winter peaks of power demand in their areas are projected to rise to around 2,570 Mw for BRPL and around 1,350 Mw for BYPL, as compared to the last year's peaks of 2,431 Mw and 1,105 Mw, respectively.